After Khelif defeated Italy’s Angela Carini last week with only one punch, social media exploded in outrage at the inclusion of the two boxers, despite neither boxer having even identified as a man.
University of Waikato Professor in Sociology of Sport and Gender Holly Thorpe told The Front Page that the IBA has largely been discredited.
“They lost their permission to be the world governing body of boxing. My understanding was that was for issues relating to transparency, the culture of that organisation, a number of kind of ethical concerns.”
It is not known what sort of sex testing was done to the boxers, and it is not known if either of them has higher testosterone, or some sort of Difference in Sex Development (DSD), of the type that saw South African runner Caster Semenya prevented from partaking in competitions.
Thorpe said that hormones fluctuate for us at different stages of life, and that testing women for testosterone is problematic.
“The important thing is that the International Olympic Committee, for women to participate in the boxing at the Olympics, all they need to prove is their gender identity and their passport. They don’t need to do a blood test. They don’t need to prove their hormones or chromosomes. It is their gender identities and their passports, and that is all the IOC requires.
“So whether they are intersex or not, whether they have XY chromosomes or not, that’s really not up for debate because they are participating fully legally following all the rules and regulations set out by the International Olympic Committee.”
She said that male athletes have never been subjected to sex testing, and that many of them have biological advantages that allow them to perform at a higher level.
“If we look at Michael Phelps, for example - huge feet, tall, big hands. These are biological advantages in swimming, but we’re not accusing him of any unfair advantage, right?
“These questions are directed at women, powerful, strong women who challenge particular versions of gender identity. But often it’s not all women who are targeted by these types of questioning. It’s often non-white, black and brown sportswomen in particular, are those who, when they are strong, when they are powerful, when they are winning, are often questioned about their gender identities and then have to undergo pretty horrific practices to prove they are a woman.”
Listen to the full episode to full episode for more on the history of sex testing female athletes, what this case says about gender representation and presentation, and what Thorpe believes are the real issues for women in sport that need to be addressed.
The Front Page is a daily news podcast from the New Zealand Herald, available to listen to every weekday from 5am. The podcast is presented by Chelsea Daniels, an Auckland-based journalist with a background in world news and crime/justice reporting who joined NZME in 2016.
You can follow the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
