Boxer Imane Khelif speaks out after facing anti-trans media frenzy

The sporting world has been in a frenzy after Algerian boxer Imane Khelif handily defeated her opponent, Italian boxer Angela Carini. The decision was unanimous, and her victory was decisive.

Yet, transphobes across the globe have gathered around a baseless conspiracy that Khelif is trans and that she deserves to be disqualified. These TERF claims have spread in spite of the fact that Algeria explicitly prohibits gender transition.

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Attacks on Khelif are the latest in a continuous body of work meant to discredit trans people, including anyone who is intersex or even slightly gender-nonconforming.

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Khelif defeated Carini in just 46 seconds, with Carini claiming that she “never felt a punch like this before.” People like JK Rowling have been jumping on the bandwagon of trying to attack Khelif claiming that she’s “actually a man” somehow. 

Claims were also based on her allegedly failing International Boxing Association’s (IBA) gender eligibility criteria. The IBA is known to be a discredited force in the boxing world dubbed by the International Olympic Committee as not an authority on boxing. There is also no additional evidence that Khelif is anything but a cisgender woman.

Now, Khelif has spoken out to the Associated Press’ sports wing about these attacks.

“I couldn’t control my nerves because after the media frenzy and after the victory, there was a mix of joy, and at the same time, I was greatly affected because honestly, it wasn’t easy to go through at all. It was something that harms human dignity,” she said. “And this is what affected me at the end of the match.”

She also said that she knew Carini beforehand, having sparred with her privately.

“I send a message to all the people of the world to uphold the Olympic principles, and, according to the Olympic charter, to refrain from bullying all athletes because this thing has effects, massive effects.”

She continued, saying that bullying “can destroy people; it can kill people’s thoughts, spirit, and mind. And it can divide people. And because of that, I ask them to refrain from bullying, and that’s it.”