Hateful Trolls Accuse Female Olympic Boxers of Being Trans
metroweekly.comapologized for remarks she made immediately after the match. Soon after the match, anti-transgender activists and right-wing media figures, including former U.S.
President Donald Trump, author J.K. Rowling, billionaire businessman Elon Musk, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and a host of athletes and sports commentators began attacking Khelif, and, to a lesser extent, Lin, claiming both were transgender and “biologically male,” and should be disqualified.Rowling was particularly heinous, writing on social media, “The idea that those objecting to a male punching a female in the name of sport are objecting because they believe Khelif to be ‘trans’ is a joke.
We object because we saw a male punching a female.”The idea that those objecting to a male punching a female in the name of sport are objecting because they believe Khelif to be ‘trans’ is a joke.
We object because we saw a male punching a female. https://t.co/KSAM5RCl1S— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) August 2, 2024Trolls argued that both boxers should be barred from women’s competition to ensure the “safety” of female competitors.Both women — and their respective countries — have claimed the allegations that they are transgender are false and an attempt to smear them.The International Olympic Committee, which cleared both boxers to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics, has cast suspicion not only on the methods used in IBA’s “gender testing,” but the timing of the tests, which were conducted only after Khelif and Lin had won several matches, reports Reuters.IOC President Thomas Bach sought to defend Khelif and Lin’s inclusion, noting that both have competed in women’s divisions in past years and that their passports and birth certificates identify them as female. “We have two boxers who are born as women, who have been raised as women, who have a passport as a woman and have competed for many years as women,” he said, accusing detractors of trying to spark a culture war. “Some want to own a definition of who is.
