The debate surrounding now Olympic gold medalist Algerian boxer Imane Khelif is f*cking wild. Discussions about gender and sexuality seem to grow more chaotic by the day, trapping us in a circus of opinions, entitlement, and confusion. Khelif, a biological woman with XY chromosomes—typically associated with biological males—illustrates just how dumb & nonsensical these discussions are becoming. Despite being disqualified from the women’s world championships last year for failing gender eligibility tests, Khelif is one of only two boxers permitted to compete in the Olympics. Like huh?
Khelif’s situation highlights the increasing complexity and manipulation of gender discussions, turning them into fuel for controversy. Shoutout to the mainstream media for doing what they do best. Now, with her condition—affecting only 0.018% of people—thrust into the spotlight, rare differences in sex development (DSDs) are being portrayed as if they're more common than they truly are.
The controversy all beginning after Khelif defeated fellow Olympic competitor Italy’s Angela Carini in just 46 seconds, with Carini withdrawing and claiming “this is unjust,” adding another layer of complexity.
To be fair, the conflicting reports about Khelif’s gender highlight the need to scrutinize news sources and their narratives to get it right. Not half-truths or opinion-filled articles, but the facts. She is a biological woman who has male DNA molecules. That is the plain and simple truth of the matter. We must be wary of how such stories might divide us and obscure our understanding of sexuality and gender because the reality is quite straightforward. Often, these controversies seem designed to create confusion and division rather than provide clarity or truth.
NOW, in my honest opinion, if Khelif had advantages linked to her XY chromosomes—especially given that she was not permitted to compete in other women’s world championships—this should have been considered for the Olympics. However, with everything becoming so "neutral" and "numb," this issue was ignored, and she was allowed to compete despite being the only woman with a clear advantage. My question for her is: Do you feel good about yourself? Do you think you really earned that medal? I believe it is inhumane to remain in a competition knowing you have an advantage over others. This issue is complicated—technically, she’s a biological woman, but if someone has an edge—whether through performance-enhancing drugs, biased judges, or male chromosomes—the resolution seems clear. Yet now, even addressing this would be deemed "discriminatory," adding more fuel to the chaotic conversation surrounding gender.
However, as humans, we should always strive to do the most humane thing.
At the end of the day, the situation is truly complex and confusing BUT given that this condition affects only about 0.018% of people, we’re unlikely to see another case like this unless similar scenarios are deliberately created to further confuse the masses.
- Bae
