Vitriol about female boxer fuels concern of backlash against LGBTQ+ and women athletes
LGBTQ+ athletes, officials and observers have warned that a deluge of hateful comments misidentifying a female boxer in the Paris Olympics as transgender or a man could pose dangers for the LGBTQ+ community and female athletes
PARIS (AP) — LGBTQ+ athletes, officials and observers have warned that a deluge of hateful comments misidentifying a female boxer in the Paris Olympics as transgender or a man could pose dangers for the LGBTQ+ community and female athletes.
The concerns come as famous figures — from former U.S. President Donald Trump to “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling — have railed against Algerian boxer Imane Khelif after her Italian competitor Angela Carini quit their bout Thursday. They and other social media comments falsely claimed Khelif was a man fighting a woman.
The comments have rippled across social media, pulling Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-Ting into the larger social contention about women in sports.
The International Olympic Committee spokesperson Mark Adams said Friday that Khelif “was born female, was registered female, lived her life as a female, boxed as a female, has a female passport.”
