Why J.K. Rowling’s transvestigation of Algerian Olympic boxer Imane Khelif is troubling

Red leads right before Blue calls for a timeout at only 37 seconds into the game. Blue’s head guard needs readjusting. The bout starts again, but the game is over, all by the 46-second mark. A straight hand from Red and Blue concedes. No blood drawn. The referee raises Imane Khelif’s hand, marking her progression to the next stage. Red wins. Algeria’s Khelif has won this fight, no doubt.

Yet there was another fight broiling. One that Khelif did not expect. One started by a beloved children’s writer who defined childhoods with the boy who lived. Italian boxer Angela Carini claimed Khelif punched her in the face with a force like never before. As Carini cried injustice, claiming Khelif to be a man, J.K. Rowling tweeted on Carini’s behalf. The tweet on X, formerly Twitter, read, “Could any picture sum up our new men’s rights movement better? The smirk of a male who’s (sic) knows he’s protected by a mysogynistic sporting establishment enjoying the distress of a woman he’s just punched in the head, and whose life ambition he’s just shattered.”

Is it all about politics?

Rowling had pronounced her judgment. Imane, in Rowling’s eye, was a man participating in a women’s contest with the sheer greed to win an Olympic medal. With disqualification questions looming over Khelif, a debate arose. It was about the difference between male and female. It was also about Rowling’s attack on non-natal people. Rowling was later joined by Elon Musk and Donald Trump. Musk retweeted a post by swimmer Riley Gaines. It said, “Men don’t belong in women’s sports #IStandWithAngelaCarini.”

He declared his unequivocal assent. “Absolutely,” he retweeted. Trump went a bit further. He included the issue in his Montana rally. He assured that he would not allow men to take part in women’s contests. It was no longer about sports. It was now political.

Perhaps, it had always been politics. Khelif had failed a chromosomal test conducted by the International Boxing Association (IBA). The body received complaints during the 2022 Women’s World Boxing Championships. These were from coaches, ringside medical staff, and competitors. Notably, these tests were done in independent, Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)-accredited labs. They were not done by the IBA. Khelif was found to have XY chromosomes. They were informed of the results in writing. Both were given the opportunity to appeal the findings to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The IBA offered to pay for the majority of the costs to allow both boxers to appeal. Lin Yu-ting did not appeal the decision. Khelif appealed the decision and then withdrew the appeal. The verdicts were not public as per confidentiality norms.

How the idea of a woman adheres to Western notion

A qualm many had was the timing of the test. The IBA, led by Russian Umar Kremlev, only tested Khelif after she beat a Russian player. The International Boxing Association has been controversial at the 2024 Olympics. The IBA has been banned from the Olympics on account of rampant corruption. The IOC set up a temporary body to oversee boxing. This body decided to only check for a female passport. The International Olympic Council is yet to do any sex-determining test.

Rowling, with 14.2 million followers on X, wields immense influence. Her discussions have surely changed over the years. Gone are the days when Rowling’s shocking revelations about Harry Potter characters irked fans. When Dumbledore and his arch nemesis’ private details were put out on X. These days, more often than not, Rowling’s tweets invite furore. For someone so deep in the gender debate, Rowling, in Khelif’s case, confuses gender and sex. Rowling writes, “So I want trans women to be safe. At the same time, I do not want to make natal girls and women less safe.” Khelif is a natal woman and identifies as one. She was declared female at birth and lived 25 years of her life as a female. To top it, Algeria outlaws transition. Had she transitioned, she would not have represented Algeria at the Olympics. Khelif might have landed somewhere else given the law.

What makes a woman is not binary, to say the least. Sex chromosomes usually distinguish between male and female. Women are XX and men are XY. But some women have XY chromosomes with female anatomy. They grow up as women with a woman’s body. Most women do not get their genetic tests done. Many are likely genetically male without knowing it. They live quite fruitful lives as females. Racial bias is another suspicion in the standards of testosterone levels and what makes up a woman. Many women of different races often miss out on medical gender profiling in the western framework. The idea of a woman, an acceptable physique, and DNA adhere to the Western notion. Female athletes of colour have, historically, undergone the worst of sex testing and false accusations.

Where do we draw the line?

Indian athletes like Dutee Chand and Shanti Sundararajan have faced similar wrath. Not only did their sports careers suffer, but they faced severe social scrutiny. In most cases, the heightened levels of testosterone are not the main differentiators. Physical features, such as height, also make a difference. Michael Phelps, in this case, should also be barred for his long wingspan. But he, in all certainty, will not be. This discrimination seems largely applicable to women.

There is an underlying problem with Rowling’s comment: generalisation. Her tweets, including this one, suggest that men transition for predatory purposes. Rowling’s lack of trust for transitioned people is palpable. Her tweet has the potential to harm the transgender community and Khelif. Imane noted that such hateful scrutiny she has received “harms human dignity.” “I send a message to all the people of the world to uphold the Olympic principles and the Olympic Charter, to refrain from bullying all athletes, because this has effects, massive effects,” Khelif said in Arabic. “It can destroy people, it can kill people’s thoughts, spirit, and mind. It can divide people. And because of that, I ask them to refrain from bullying.”

Khelif ended up winning gold in the 66 kg category. Wrapped in the national flag, she became the first Algerian gold medalist in women’s boxing. On August 14, Imane filed a complaint against X. She named Rowling and Musk for cyberbullying. Though Trump has not been named, he too would be part of the investigation, Khelif’s Paris-based attorney, Nabil Boudi, has said. Now, we wait for what the proceedings reveal. It remains to be seen where gender and sex overlap. When does politics enter the private sphere? Most importantly, where do we draw the line?