Yes, Imane Khelif is not a trans athlete. But, no, that doesn’t mean they should be eligible to compete in women’s sports. Here are the reasons:
Imane Khelif likely has had a chromosome karyotyping genetic test. Given Imane was disqualified from competing in 2023 due to a failed gender test that was not using testosterone levels as the metric (testosterone is not a gender test and should not be used to determine gender since we have a much better obvious test for assessing male or female sex). The results would have been XY in-order to fail a gender test (in-order to compete in female categorisation), which is male chromosomes. This means that Imane Khelif is biologically (natal) male. The International Boxing Association (IBA) said Khelif “failed to meet the eligibility criteria for participating in the women’s competition, as set and laid out in the IBA regulations”. According to the IBA’s regulations: “Boxers will compete against boxers of the same gender”, meaning women vs women and men vs men as per the definitions of these rules. The IBA defines a woman as “an individual with chromosome XX” and a man as “an individual with chromosome XY”.
As Imane’s home country Algeria does not have trans-rights laws, it is likely Imane has DSD (disordered sexual development), either 46,XY syndrome (also known as 5-alpha-reductase deficiency) or AIS (androgen insensitivity syndrome). In both those cases, when born, the male baby during in-utero growth has not properly developed externalised male sex organs, but instead the testis have not descended nor has the penis and as a result it looks more like the outside genitals of a female (which does not make the baby a female). With XY allosomes (sex chromosomes) and DSD, even with the look of external female genitalia, Imane would not have reproductive capable functioning female sex organs. No womb, no ovaries, etc. It’s just that during gestational development, with 46XY syndrome, the baby has a gene variant (polymorphism) that is essentially malfunctioning when it comes to the production of DHT (dihydrotestosterone) needed in baby males during in-utero development. This means the baby boy in-utero does not produce the type of testosterone that signals the development of external male genitalia. The rest of this person’s body does experience the full effects of testosterone throughout puberty and beyond, so this makes Imane have ‘malformed’ (not typically properly developed male-looking sex organs) genitalia, that doesn’t make Imane a natal female. We do not call boys who were captured and castrated by slavers ‘girls’ just because they don’t have male genitalia. It’s not the existence of externally visible typical sex characteristics that make females female or males male, although they are used as the first line of assessment when determining the gender of a newborn, and it is typically highly reliable and accurate.
It’s also possible Imane has AIS. This also results in being born without fully developed external male genitalia. Some individuals with AIS are born with partially descended testis, others start to feel pain in puberty as they never descend and may need to remove them to avoid the risk of cancer. The point is, many obstetricians will incorrectly categorise the gender of these babies as female, because they don’t see classical testis nor a penis at birth. For males with AIS (who typically are mistakenly registered as females at birth), they usually find out that they have AIS during puberty, when they grow more like males do physically and don’t get a menstrual cycle. The rest of their body fully responds to the testosterone they produce like a healthy male does. In Imane’s case, it is very likely they were misdiagnosed at birth due to DSD which could be either 46,XY or AIS. In this respect, it may be appropriate to use the pronoun “they”, as Imane would likely have grown up being treated as and told they were a girl.
It’s important to consider the fact that Imane Khelif entered the Olympics likely knowing that they are a natal male (XY). As Imane was disqualified in competition in 2023 due to failing a gender test, which is a genetic test of the allosome genes (XX or XY karyotyping). Many sports managers look for individuals like Imane Khelif, because often they would during childhood appear to be excellent at sports when competing against girls – the reason being, they are males with malformed genitalia. People with these DSD conditions are not at fault, as they would likely have thrived in sports as children and therefore been noticed for this and encouraged to pursue a career in sports. But they are not natal female and therefore do not belong in female competitive sports. Just as a fully abled person is not allowed to compete in the para-Olympics, a person with a bionic pair of legs is not allowed to compete in the regular Olympic races, natal males should not be allowed to compete against women in Olympic boxing. It would be impressive if individuals like Imane Khelif started to share their stories, inform the public, become thought leaders and set examples to future generations about how to address these sensitive situations. This would make them incredible people.
We cannot blame individuals like Imane Khelif. They were misclassified at birth. It was an honest mistake by the obstetrician. To avoid making such mistakes, it would be wiser for babies to be karyotyped at birth. It is cheap, fast and easy to do. This is to protect those with DSD from being incorrectly classified and help ensure they are given all the support to lead a healthy, fulfilling life, instead of facing confusion during puberty and possible ostracism. There are already newborn screening tests commonly performed to detect rare genetic conditions that can cause serious health problems such as aneuploidy, sex chromosome duplications or deletions, phenylketonuria (PKU) and sickle cell disease.
Because of all the deliberate obfuscation around the meaning or simple terms like ‘male’ and ‘female’, many well-meaning people have been left feeling confused about these issues. Going forward, to avoid confusion, it may be best to not say “male category” nor “female category”, but “XX” and “XY” categories. This way there would be no confusion about who should be allowed to compete against each other. The terms ‘male’ and ‘female’ should be what they have always meant until five minutes ago: Male = XY, and female = XX.
Dr. Isabella Cooper is a Biochemist and Medical Pathologist.
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I agree with the author, especially as she says that if an able-bodied athlete is not permitted to compete in the para-Olympics due to having an obvious unfair advantage, the same should apply to anyone with a Y sex chromosome being excluded from women’s events. Hence why it’s imperative to move away from what is written on somebody’s passport ( what the IOC are doing ) and commence with sex testing via a cheek swab. It’s the fairest way.
Here is an interview article of the former athletics coach for Canada talking about when three biological men, including caster Semenya, all got medals at the 2016 Olympics in the 800m, and the athlete he was coaching came in 4th, robbed of her gold medal. It also shows the pressure coaches and athletes are put under, with threats to stay silent on the issue, which does give some indication as to why athletes cannot ”just refuse to compete”. They’ve an awful lot to lose if they do so;
”Athletics Canada’s former head coach has come forward to reveal that he was threatened by the Canadian Olympic Committee lawyers after expressing discontent with the results of the women’s 800m at the 2016 Olympic Games. The competition saw three biological males take the top spots, displacing the female Canadian bid to fourth place.
Peter Eriksson, the record-making former head coach for the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic program, spoke to Reduxx about what happened at the 2016 session in Rio, and the consequences he faced if he spoke out on behalf of Canadian athlete Melissa Bishop. Bishop placed fourth after three males competed in the female division.
“I was the first one to see Melissa after the race and what do you even say in that scenario? ‘You’re the best woman in the race?’ You don’t get a medal for that,” Eriksson says. “This was such an injustice I wanted to speak out, and then I got a call from the Canadian Olympic Committee’s lawyer saying that if I opened my mouth, I would be banned for life in sport.”
Eriksson explained that, at the time, World Athletics claimed there was a lack of evidence on the advantage possessed by DSD athletes, but that there had been no confusion on the ground about what Semenya and the others were.
“Everybody knew Caster Semenya, for example, was a male. Everybody was aware of it, but I think that World Athletics didn’t want to do anything,” Eriksson says. “This is now also documented in court records. [He] has very high testosterone and is XY. A few years earlier [he] had tried to lower [his] testosterone and began to perform poorly, so [he] stopped.”
https://reduxx.info/an-injustice-former-canadian-olympic-head-coach-speaks-out-against-results-of-2016-olympics-calls-for-sex-segregated-sport/
Here is the race in question;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psxr58zKi6g&ab_channel=Olympics
I’ve followed several of these cases with some interest Mogs. The clincher for me was that after most of the furore regarding Caster Semenya had died down, he fathered two children with his wife, despite having undescended male parts. Inside, he was a sperm-producing man. Unfortunate as it might be personally for Khelif in being allegedly raised as a female, all the biological evidence confirms he’s a bloke, quite aside from his build and appearance (a la Semenya). The craven pusillanimity of the IOC in pandering to political correctness over womens’ safety is nothing short of disgusting
Yes, indeed. Sharron Davies is over in Paris now working on the Olympics and she’s talking to these female competitors. It’s not just the boxing that’s been infiltrated by XY chromosome-owners ( what the heck do you call them? DSD people?? ), it’s, criminally, the other contact sports. What does that say about the Olympic committee and what they think of women? Terrible;
”I have spent time this week with many female combat sports women. There are other males in different womens fighting sports here at the Olympics. It is negligence & pure insanity. A dereliction of duty of care to female athletes health. The IOC HAVE been told over & over again.”
https://x.com/sharrond62/status/1819677130034213164
It was never a trans issue. Nobody reliably ever claimed it was a trans issue. Most of that obfuscation appeared to come from the TRAs, attempting to queer the pitch, and then paint their opponents as being the confused parties.
It is unfortunate for these athletes, but there are no grounds for allowing them to compete against women.
*reliable
I just wanted to say that I really found this scientific medical information fascinating. I had no idea of the physical manifestations of a developmental chromosome misstep in this way – so thanks for a really interesting article.
Good article; thanks
The Hashimi “sisters” from Afghanistan look extremely suspect in the women’s cycling road race. Broad shoulders, little hips and waists, significantly taller than the competition and are currently working together to reel in a breakaway. These Olympics are a joke.
Thank you Isabella!
The Olympic Movement does seem to be tying itself in a huge knot on what should otherwise be a very simple issue. According to them they’re an organisation seeking “to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating young people through sport practiced in accordance with Olympism and its values.”
What are these ‘values’ exactly? Well they include, among other things, “respect for international conventions on protecting human rights” and specifically the “rejection of discrimination of any kind.”
This is all very virtuous but for decades sport’s intended reach includes vulnerable sub-populations which in most places continues to include women. Thus, the Olympic Movement intends to “encourage the regular practice of sport by all people in society, regardless of sex, age, social background or economic status,” and holds out “gender equality a top priority.” Its “two main aims” with respect to gender equality “are to make access to sport in general and the Olympic Games easier for female athletes, and to increase the number of women in sports administration and management.”
This huge, and ever increasing, knot can easily be undone by defining what they mean by ‘sex’, ‘gender’, ‘female’ and ‘woman’. If there’s ever a need for a sex taxonomy update it’s now. The irony here being women were once excluded from sports based on sex, only to come almost full circle to be excluded again!
The Olympic Movement is speaking out of both sides of its mouth. It is impossible to encourage, prioritise and grow woman’s sport while at the same time erasing biological reality and replacing it with gender identity. Sex discrimination should always be met with skepticism and challenged, but in sport it is an absolute that’s required for women to compete. In this instance, discrimination is lawful, sensible and required to achieve the Olympic Movement’s goals.
To conclude, due the Olympic Movement’s desires to elevate women (rightly so), and the inherent physiological differences between the sexes, this goal cannot be met without continuing to separate the sexes using lawful and sensible discriminatory practices against biological men, men with DSDs and trans women.
https://olympics.com/ioc/theme-gender-equality
“…..includes vulnerable sub-populations which in most places continues to include women.”
Ooh steady on or you’ll trigger the wrath of the resident misogynists, with their tedious pathological obsession with blaming everything on feminism and/or women on general.
Apparently if women call out the unfair treatment experienced in sports we’re accused of claiming “victim hood” or told “it’s your own fault!” Go figure!
Thank the gods for the decent men sticking their heads above the parapet and calling out the injustice though. I see the sacrifices and the hard work that goes into playing sports at a high level for ALL sportspeople but there can be no doubt that what’s going on currently is negatively impacting females alone. If people want to make disparaging remarks when this reality is acknowledged then it just highlights how unhealthy their attitude is towards females and trivialising what girls and women are enduring in wider society or coming up against in a sports environment.
The IOC are a shambles and come across as dreadfully unprofessional, prioritising all things woke over fairness and safety of the female athletes. I don’t think I watched any of the previous Olympics so I can’t compare it to what’s occurring presently in Paris. Was it as bad as this?
Anyway, great post.
The statement “We cannot blame individuals like Imane Khelif” sits awkwardly with the statement “It’s important to consider the fact that Imane Khelif entered the Olympics likely knowing that they are a natal male (XY).” Perhaps Khelif doesn’t understand that he has considerable physical advantages over XX women – and perhaps he does. The pre-fight swab idea is a good one, but swab or not, you just need to look at this individual to know that he shouldn’t be in a ring with a woman. This isn’t prejudice – it’s common sense – a rare commodity, I’m told. Apparently Khelif has been boxing since he was 13; maybe he looked more like a girl back then – a lot of boys do at 13. But, er… they change; and just the fact – sorry, I’m making various assumptions here – that a girlish boy of 13/14/15 starts to find that he’s not up to being in the ring with 100% male fighters, doesn’t mean he should start thinking about having a crack at the ladies instead. As I say, this is a slightly mischievous assumption – but how else to explain how a sane person can look at Khelif now and say yes, that’s a wonderful, beautiful woman who has the perfect right to break other women’s noses? It’s beyond me. (As an argument, it reminds of conversations I’ve had with gay friends who tell me that they’d have loved to adopt a child but didn’t feel they had the ‘right’ to insist on doing so, no matter what less conservative people told them; they accepted that people often make sacrifices, that all things are not given to all people in this life, and that if the possible or likely outcome of not making those sacrifices might include harm to others, they should maybe exercise some restraint in their actions. Big of them, I’d say, and said at the time.)
The ability to discern in Imane Khelif a woman fighting a fair fight with another woman is an ability enjoyed only by leftist utopianists, who see things that don’t exist other than in their dreams. That dream-world is a problem that makes things difficult in most areas of life, but nowhere quite as starkly as in the boxing ring. Leftists are cruel – they gloss over much suffering in their pursuit of ideology; what was the look on Khelif’s face during and after this ‘fight’? Well, I’m afraid I saw only self-satisfied condescension – a hint of scorn perhaps – contrasting somewhat with the look on Angela Carini’s face after only 46 seconds of a revolting spectacle.
By the way, while the author’s conclusions make sense to me, I don’t understand the capitulation to this absurd habit of using grammatically confusing pronouns – especially since there is an overt understanding that the person under scrutiny is in fact male (“This means that Imane Khelif is biologically [natal] male.”) Subsequent language used by the author can be confusing as a result: “We cannot blame individuals like Imane Khelif. They were misclassified at birth” – Does this refer to Khelif only, or to others like him? Does such a detail matter? It certainly might.
Being churlish for a moment, on the question of confusion, the article would be easier to follow if it were better written; this one is one of the worst I’ve seen in the DS pages. Sorry, it just is. (eg, “This way there would be no confusion about who should be allowed to compete against each other” = This way there would be no confusion about who should be allowed to compete against whom“? Sorry, reigning in pedantic instincts…).
Finally, here’s someone who would love to get me in the ring (although I wouldn’t fancy her chances): https://x.com/IrishWomens/status/1819372791050686556 – Who knows what goes through the mind of a lady rugby player…
The ability to discern in Imane Khelif a woman fighting a fair fight with another woman is an ability enjoyed only by leftist utopianists, who see things that don’t exist other than in their dreams.
What makes you think the people behind this believe in their own cover stories? Khelif has doubtlessly been put in his place by people who knew perfectly well what they were doing. That’s part of the plan to demonstrate to us how powerless we are wrt to accepting this nonsense.
I make no reference to the people “behind this”; I mean only that the tendency to see things that don’t exist is a tendency of the Left in general. A pretty straightforward reflection on the general nature of Leftist ‘thinking’ (for want of a better word). You may well be right about the “plan to demonstrate” etc – I don’t have a strong view on that.
Thank you very much for this clear explanation of the medical basis for this situation. All we get from the IOC and media is just dream land rhetoric.