Imane Khelif is a woman, contrary to what the internet says
This article was updated on August 6 in part to clarify details about Khelif’s boxing matches, past disqualification from the Women’s World Championships, and gender identity.
Algerian Olympic boxer Imane Khelif made international headlines on August 1, when she knocked out Italian boxer Angela Carini just forty-six seconds into their match. After two forceful strikes to the head, Carini quit and fell to her knees in tears before walking away, refusing to shake Khelif’s hand. At one point, Carini could be heard on camera telling her coach, “It’s not right, it’s not right,” before exclaiming to the media that she had never been hit this hard in her career. Shortly after this, the hashtag #IStandWithAngelaCarini started to trend on social media.
Prominent public figures, like former US President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, accused Khelif of being a transgender athlete and promised to keep “men out of women’s sports.” Others have called on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to ban her from competing in future matches, noting that she was disqualified by the International Boxing Association (IBA) from the Women’s World Championships in New Delhi last year. The IBA said recently the disqualification was for failing to meet eligibility criteria.
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Some have erroneously claimed that the disqualification was because Khelif was biologically a male, despite the fact that Khelif was born female. The IBA stated that, ahead of the world championships in 2023, Khelif underwent a test (the nature of which is confidential, but the IBA stated it was not a testosterone examination). The IBA president later told Russian news agency Tass that her disqualification was because “it was proven they have XY chromosomes.” (There is no evidence that Khelif has XY chromosomes.) IOC spokesman Mark Adams told reporters that the committee could not confirm the IBA test results and that “this is not a transgender issue.” (The two organizations no longer work together.)
Although Carini has since apologized for not shaking her opponent’s hand and said she felt badly that an online debate had transpired as a result, it wasn’t enough to stop the personal attacks on Khelif’s gender identity.
Several media outlets have speculated that Khelif could have differences in sex development (DSD), a group of rare medical conditions, but there is no verification that she has DSD or any medical condition related to sex traits. Khelif is not transgender and does not identify as intersex, contrary to what many have claimed about her on social media. In the face of criticism after her disqualification last year, Khelif responded, “To say that I have qualities and abilities that do not qualify me to compete with women is illogical. I did not create myself. This is God’s creation.”
Middle East and North African (MENA) social media users were quick to stand behind Khelif, using the English and Arabic hashtags #IstandWithImaneKhelif and #إيمان_خليف (#Iman_Khelif) and calling her “brave” for standing her ground. The themes of discourse found online, mainly in Arabic, highlighted colonial-linked narratives about the “West” attempting to steal this win from an Arab athlete by fabricating lies about her gender identity. This also comes at a time when transgender rights in the West remain a highly contentious topic, especially in the lead-up to the US presidential election in November.
Some Algerian fans, in particular, have described the West’s reaction to Khelif’s win as “anti-Arab,” maintaining that Western notions of Arab womanhood remain entrenched in a profoundly Eurocentric and racist understanding. On X, Algerian cartoonist Nime posted a drawing of Khelif with her boxing shorts pulled down to reveal her pink undergarments to affirm her identity. Meanwhile, Algeria’s official football X account posted a picture of Carini at the press conference with the caption “cry more,” which has now gone viral with 59 million engagements.
Many Algerians have highlighted the hypocritical nature of the accusations, noting that other Olympic female athletes, like US rugby player Ilona Maher, have been praised for taking a stand against body negativity and supporting women of “all the different body types,” while Khelif was harassed online for hers. Maher told her fans stories about how she was shamed for her masculine body type in a now-viral TikTok post with the caption, “All body types can be Olympians.” Yet, that same understanding was not extended to Khelif. Unfortunately, as the Associated Press noted, “Female athletes of color have historically faced disproportionate scrutiny and discrimination when it comes to sex testing and false accusations that they are male or transgender.”
Shortly after Khelif defeated Carini, far-right Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni posted a picture with Carini on X, stating, “I know you won’t give up, Angela, and I know that one day you will earn with effort and sweat what you deserve in a finally fair competition.” Other conservative public figures, like X’s Elon Musk, reposted videos of Khelif’s match and commentary warning US voters that “Kamala Harris supports this” in a bid to link the incident to domestic right-wing narratives about sexual identity amid a critical election cycle. Author J. K. Rowling, who has made transphobic comments in the past, also posted a picture of the match on X with the caption, “Could any picture sum up our new men’s rights movement better? The smirk of a male who’s knows he’s protected by a misogynist sporting establishment.” This strain of Western discourse portrays a bigoted understanding of womanhood, one rooted in anti-LGBTQI sentiments.
The contrast between both sides of the discourse highlights gaps in the social understanding of womanhood and sexuality. By denying Khelif’s womanhood and leveraging her win to disseminate miseducated narratives that fuel anti-LGBTQI sentiments, critics are essentializing the definition of gender and perpetuating stigmas.
This dangerous narrative, coupled with a rise in anti-Arab sentiments amid the ten-month Gaza war, has brewed the perfect storm for right-wing figures to launch baseless attacks on Khelif’s gender identity.
Analyzing the sentiments behind these narratives can paint a picture of how divisive gender and sexuality discourse can be, especially amid a global election cycle. With the backdrop of race and nationality, these sentiments can be used to sustain a limited understanding of gender and LGBTQI identities. There is no “one box fits all” definition of these themes. Instead, using a nuanced approach to these complex issues could help shed light on the many unique experiences of womanhood. Like all Olympians, Khelif has dreamed of this moment since she was a young girl, growing up in an impoverished neighborhood where she and her family used to sell bread and plastic to afford her boxing lessons. Having beat Carini, Khelif won the quarterfinals against Hungarian boxer Anna Luca Hamori and is set to advance to the semifinals on August 6. With thirty-seven victories and nine defeats in her career, Khelif has earned her spot at the Olympics. Barring Khelif’s participation would only let misguided ideologies concerning gender identity win.
Yaseen Rashed is the assistant director of media and communications at the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East Programs.
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Image: Algeria's Imane Khelif (in red) and Italy's Angela Carini during their women's 66kg preliminaries round of 16 boxing match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the North Paris Arena, in Villepinte on August 1, 2024. Female boxer yells 'this is unjust' and falls to her knees in tears as she quits fight against 'biologically male' Olympic opponent Imane Khelif after just 46 seconds following two powerful punches. Photo by Eliot Blondet/ABACAPRESS.COM