Trans Hate Affects Cis Women Too

I have too many Trans friends to have expected better from the world media, but somehow, I'm still disappointed.

Trans people, whether transitioned or not, whether they identify as male or female, attract a lot of undeserved hate. What genitalia a person has is between them and their sexual partners and is, legally speaking, none of Joe or Jane Public's business.

It isn't just Trans people who are affected by transphobia, either. Entirely Cis women who 'look masculine' have horror stories of having some random busybody call security on them for using public bathrooms and being forced to "prove" their AFAB status.

I have a hormone imbalance that makes my facial hair come in thick, dark and fast. If I didn't shave bi-weekly, I'd be a genuine Bearded Lady. Laser therapy only made it worse, and the Pill is only partially effective at reducing it.

I was Assigned Female At Birth, and the only gender confusion was when the people doing early scans thought my twin and I were boys (after the first doctor got over his initial diagnosis of a stomach bug). I have never questioned my gender identity, even during my brief obsession with George from the Famous Five series by Enid Blighton... but you can bet that there were plenty of people willing to bully me over it in school when puberty didn't just hit my chest and hips.

First, let's clear up a few things: It is possible for women to have XY Chromosomes without being Trans. Being born Intersex, or with Swyer Syndrome, are both possibilities, like two-time Olympian Caster Semenya, who also faced challenges over her natural elevated testosterone levels. It's important to note that the IBA (International Boxing Association - which has been cheerfully fanning the flames of the media uproar) never actually specified what the 'medical test' Imane Khelif failed in order to compete in the World Championship was, or why she failed.

At this point, One should note that the IBA has a long history of corruption, to the point that the Olympic Committee, which has its own problems, refuses to allow it to participate, the only World Sports Organisation to be banned. IOC does not allow transgender athletes unless they fully transition before they turn 12. All other guidelines are left to individual sports, many of which either blanket-ban transgender athletes or require certain maximum levels of testosterone. (Again, see Caster Semenya.)

Additionally, Algeria is a country where it is currently illegal to transition between genders. If Imane was a Trans Woman, she wouldn't be at the Olympics, she'd be in a jail cell (but that's a different Human Rights problem for later)

Second, Imane Khelif has been competing in the woman's division for years, and has repeatedly lost to other female boxers. At the last Olympics in Tokyo, she was knocked out in the quarter-finals by Ireland's representative.

Australia's representative recently spoke on the issue, essentially asking people to do a basic fact-check instead of jumping on outrage bandwagons.

Nearly every story I can find on the topic has a focus on Angela's desire to win in honor of her father and coach, who recently passed away, and how she broke down crying on the mat after refusing to shake Imane's hand.

Far fewer stories mention the extreme opposition Imane faced to get to where she is now. From her own father, who saw boxing as a 'boys sport' and refused to support her in training or competing, to the fact that she took it up after years of 'practice' dodging punches from village boys who didn't like her skill at Soccer. Imane had to raise money to pay for a bus fare in order to practice miles away from her home village, assisted by her mother.

Again, Gender Equality in Algeria is a big problem that deserves its own article.

It's also worth noting that Angela's Wikipedia page consists almost entirely of this Controversy, with a brief mention of her career as a police officer and sporting History. You have to actively search for her record as a talented boxer, and she'll likely be remembered as a sore loser who broke down when faced with a stronger opponent.

Boxing is a very physical sport, but the psychological battle is nearly as important as the physical one. Angela Carini is correct in being paraphrased as saying that if you step into the ring, you've already achieved a victory. From the beginning, Media reporting has painted Angela as being assaulted, as if this didn't even take place in a boxing ring.

They're treating her as a frail, delicate woman, not a dedicated athlete who puts her physical health on the line in not one, but both of her professions. All for the sake of getting a jab in at the Trans community, of which Imane Khelif isn't even a participant.

By the way, there is a Trans athlete at the Olympics this year: Hergie Bacyadan, representing the Phillipines.