The 2024 Olympics played the same old tune of gender discrimination and transphobia. Despite it’s claim of being the “largest, gender equal sporting event in the world,” transphobia still managed to make its way to the games. Due to subjective ideas of who is and is not a woman, oppressive surveillance has for years been placed on the bodies of women athletes, and this year’s Olympics highlighted this glaring fact once again.
The Algerian boxer and gold medalist Imane Khelif has been the latest target of anti-trans prejudice coming from politicians, celebrities, and international sports organizations. After winning against Italian opponent Angela Carini, within 46 seconds of the start of their match, Khelif was accused of being a man. The false rumor was spread online by the likes of Elon Musk and author J.K. Rowling, with right-wingers referencing her failed 2023 “gender eligibility test” conducted by a disgraced boxing association.
She is the latest woman of color to have her gender questioned and endure a hate campaign. Conservatives have repeatedly questioned U.S. tennis player Serena Williams and South African runner Caster Semenya’s gender, claiming they don’t look feminine enough. The global governing body for track and field, the International Association of Athletics (IAAF) even banned Semenya from competitions for refusing to use medication to reduce her levels of testosterone. This was also the case in 2014, when a then 18-year-old Indian sprinter, Dutee Chand, was forced to undergo invasive physical exams and told she couldn’t compete unless she lowered her testosterone levels.
With actions like these, the Olympics is spreading the narrative that it is acceptable to marginalize trans girls and women at all levels of sports. Meanwhile, never have international sports bodies like the IAAF and the International Olympics Committee demanded gender testing for men’s athletes.
The spread of transphobia is hurting us all, trans and non-trans people. When one group of people are attacked, and the perpetrators are allowed to get away with it, it endangers more groups than just the original targets. Trans youth, especially are bearing the brunt of the outdated views of old, profit-driven institutes with power. Republican state legislatures across the U.S. have passed and proposed bills excluding trans kids from participating in sports. The extreme right has made it clear that they will continue to vilify and cause harm to marginalized communities.
The question is, what do we do in response? Do we sit idly by and continue to let them get away with it, or do we stand up and say enough?
