Summarised by Centrist
The inclusion of XY chromosome athletes in women’s boxing at the Paris Olympics is stirring a debate over fairness and safety.
Svetlana Staneva, who lost her match to Lin Yu-Ting, made a double X gesture to protest what she perceives as an unfair advantage.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach defended the decision, stating, “We have two boxers who were born as women, who have been raised as women, who have a passport as a woman, and who have competed for many years as women.”
Yet, it is more complicated than that for some people. They might seem to be a girl at birth, given the knowledge of their doctor at the time, or even what the country would allow, but who might actually have more male characteristics which became more obvious as they developed. Critics argue that biological differences give XY athletes an unfair advantage and pose a serious safety risk in contact sports like boxing.
Columnist Brian Giesbrecht writes: “We have been through this controversy before.”
Caster Semenya, a world-class track and field athlete, is a famous example of an “intersex” or DSD individual. Born with ambiguous genitalia, Semenya has undescended testicles and was raised as a girl. However, Semenya, like Imane Kheif and Lin Yu-Ting, has XY chromosomes, providing the strength, speed, and size advantages of a man. This led to complaints from female competitors who felt it was unfair for someone with XY chromosomes to compete against XX women.
Critics urge a return to the principle: “XX compete against XX; XY compete against XY. No exceptions.” They argue that maintaining this distinction is essential for fairness, common sense, and the safety of female athletes.
Read more over at The Western Standard
Image: By ALGÉRIE PRESSE SERVICE | وكالة الأنباء الجزائرية, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=134461048
