Imane Khelif Takes On The Establishment – ‘Can Elon Be Sued?’
Boxer Imane Khelif’s decision to sue Elon Musk and J. K. Rowling for cyberbullying has caused further division over the recent gender controversy.
Khelif won Olympic gold during her time at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. However, it was fraught with mass controversy. She defeated Angela Carini in a compelling first-round stoppage, forcing the fighter to quit. Angela went to her corner after getting hit to the head with numerous flurries to get her head guard adjusted.
The same thing happened again, only for the boxer to quit. Carini broke down in tears, as controversy over Khelf’s gender arose. Imane failed the gender test last year at the IBA World Boxing Championships. She failed to meet the criteria for what was deemed a woman.
The result was that the IBA banned her from competing. Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting also suffered the same fate, as she was prevented from competing. Therefore, the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision to allow both boxers evoked a strong reaction.
Strong Reaction
“What in the [hell] is going on? In Paris this year, where two biological men are competing against biological women in the sport of boxing? The IOC allowed this to happen, and it’s saying it’s okay because they are females in their passports! Wait, what? Are you kidding me? I’ve lost all my respect for the IOC,” Oscar De La Hoya
However, reports then emerged that Imane was diagnosed with Hyperandrogenism. This has the impact of allegedly increasing the levels of testosterone, thus leading to the presence of XY chromosomes. Mark Adams, from the IOC, later stated that both were women.
“[They were] born female, was registered female, lived her life as a female, boxed as a female, has a female passport. This is not a transgender case. I know you’re not saying that, but there has been some confusion that somehow it’s a man fighting a woman. This is just not the case scientifically. On that there is consensus. Scientifically, this is not a man fighting a woman. And I think we need to kind of get that,” Adams said
Imane’s Response
Imane’s attorney has now issued a lawsuit. It claims that she suffered ‘acts of aggravated cyber harassment.’ This was on the impaction that she was a transgender. Even Donald Trump could find himself in the firing line he appears to fire verbal shots at the boxer: “I WILL KEEP MEN OUT OF WOMEN’S SPORTS.”
In response, Imane’s attorney stated the following:
“J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk are named in the lawsuit, among others. Trump tweeted, so whether or not he is named in our lawsuit, he will inevitably be looked into as part of the prosecution. What we’re asking is that the prosecution investigates not only these people [named in the complaint] but whoever it feels necessary. If the case goes to court, they will stand trial.”
The implications of this case is that it will set a precedent over how future situations are resolved. Based on the current way it has been dealt with, more needs to be done to protect individual athletes and the culture of the sport.
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