I loved the Olympics when I was a child. I loved the idea that people worked their whole lives to achieve athletic excellence and share it with the world every four years. My heroes were Nadia Comaneci and many other women who were such strong and athletic females. It inspired me to run track, do recreational gymnastics, play softball, and eventually coach these sports. I was a National Age Group Chairman for USA Gymnastics and a Brevet Level judge as well.
I still love watching some sports like gymnastics.
Unfortunately, commercialization and television ratings have turned the event into an orchestrated monstrosity that no longer celebrates the efforts of so many but has turned the Olympics into a social experiment in many ways, such as allowing men to compete against women.
The most egregious display of this social experimentation came in a recent bout in Women’s Boxing at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Forty-five seconds into her bout with Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, an athlete who had previously failed two gender tests, Italian boxer Angela Carini called off the bout, saying that she had never been punched that hard before. Carini was in tears and voiced her frustration, shouting “This is unjust!” and slamming her headgear in the ring. She refused to congratulate the “winner” of the fight.
“I’m used to suffering. I’ve never taken a punch like that, it’s impossible to continue.”
Her coach, Emmanuel Razini, said he and Angela had been warned not to participate in this fight.
“Many people in Italy tried to call and tell her: ‘Don’t go please: It’s a man, it’s dangerous for you,” Renzini said.
After questioning the decision to let Khelif and one other suspected male fighter compete in the women’s division, the IOC stated, “All athletes participating in the boxing tournament of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 comply with the competition’s eligibility and entry regulations, as well as all applicable medical regulations.” They didn’t confirm that the two boxers were actually women. They did not mention any medical conditions which would cloud the issue.
They defended the decision to allow Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Yu-ting to compete, citing a lack of due process in their previous disqualifications.
The IOC argued: “Every person has the right to practice sport without discrimination.” They claimed that the boxers’ eligibility is based on their passports, in line with previous Olympic rules. Hey, U.S. Boxing, get Mike Tyson ready with his passport as a female. We can call him Michelle.
Famous Author JK Rowling stated her views on the subject:
It’s unclear whether the two suspect boxers are transgender females or females with unusually high levels of testosterone. The latter would be similar to allegations against East Germany female swimmers back in the 60’s and 70’s:
50 Years Since the Doping-Fueled Rise of East Germany (swimmingworldmagazine.com)
No records or medals were stripped from these swimmers even though they had such a clear, unfair advantage over untreated female swimmers that swimmers from other countries had NO chance of winning. However, drastic changes occurred in how the sport policed doping.
At least no female athletes were severely injured from competing with these testosterone fuel athletes.
It’s also worth noting that the Russian Federation was banned from competing internationally for four years in 2019 by WADA, the anti-doping agency. While the methods of doping are different, the unfair advantage of the Russian scandal is considerably less than that of allowing transgender women or women with high levels of testosterone to compete against other women. The Russian case involved the Federation hiding or faking data to hide doping. An unfair advantage to be sure, but at least the Russians didn’t send biological men out to compete as women.
Russia banned from Olympic Games over doping scandal (cnbc.com)
In Khelif’s case, there is some evidence that he suffers from DSD as explained in this article:
Does having DSD mean Khelif, who has an elevated testosterone level, has a right to compete against women? The first ruling in Khelif’s case was “no” and then, with a change in international boxing authorities, it was “yes” and Khelif was allowed into the Olympics.
Regardless of Khelif’s medical condition, there is one constant that should determine eligibility to compete against women, and that is the amount of testosterone he/she has. Like the German swimmers of the 70’s, elevated testosterone gives Khelif an unfair advantage. Whether that hormone is there via nature or artificially doesn’t matter.
It’s sad to see this flagrant destruction of women’s sports based on a narcissistic need to obtain an Olympic medal for one’s country at all costs. Yet, those who support giving this athlete a competitive edge against truly female athletes try to call those against it as hateful and non-inclusive. Nothing of the kind.
We just believe in fair play and protecting a woman’s right to compete in a sport against other women, not men with gender dysphoria, DSD, or even worse, sick ambitions. We also believe that women need to be protected from abuse at the hands of a biological man. Time after time, we have seen female athletes severely injured while competing against biological males competing as women.
In the U.S., some states have passed laws which protect girls’ sports. In Florida, an employee of a district was suspended for allowing their transgender child to play against girls in violation of the state’s Fairness in Women’s Sports Act:
The parent of the transgender child in question says her child’s life has been destroyed since it was revealed that the child was a biological male who is now a transgender female. One asks the question, regarding who is at fault for the situation, the state that upholds a law or a parent who allowed their minor child to circumvent it?
One fact is clear. The safety of female athletes should be the paramount of concerns for authorities in charge of any level of athletic competition, followed by the need for a fair playing field for both men and women. This is not arbitrary discrimination, it’s science and biology.
. Author JK Rowling summed it up nicely on X:
That’s the bottom line.
NOTE: If you think this issue only effects the Olympics and other international events, remember that the Biden/Harris administration has directed the Department of Education to enforce new Title IX Guidelines which will effectively allow this kind of travesty to occur in our public schools.
Biden Education Department Title IX Rule Blocked In Six More States – Easton Gazette
Jan Greenhawk, Author
Jan Greenhawk is a former teacher and school administrator for over thirty years. She has two grown children and lives with her husband in Maryland. She also spent over twenty-five years coaching/judging gymnastics and coaching women’s softball.
This article was originally featured on the Easton Gazette.
Olympics: Celebration Of Sport Or Violent Social Experimentation?
