GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, homosexual, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy group, and InterACT, which works to empower intersex youth and advance the rights of all individuals with innate variations of their bodily intercourse traits by way of advocacy, public engagement and neighborhood connection, are releasing a truth sheet to encourage correct and inclusive protection of the Olympic video games and the athletes taking part.
Imane Khelif, an Olympic boxer from Algeria, gained her first boxing match of the 2024 Paris Olympics towards Angela Carini from Italy. Khelif’s victory drew transphobia and misinformation in regards to the competitors and her eligibility, together with from excessive profile, longtime critics of transgender individuals.
Media and journalists overlaying the Olympics are inspired to incorporate the next information and context, attributable to GLAAD, interACT and Athlete Ally:
- Imane Khelif is a girl.
- Imane Khelif isn’t transgender and doesn’t determine as intersex.
- Imane Khelif reportedly has a variation in her intercourse traits, also referred to as variations of sexual improvement (DSDs), which are a gaggle of circumstances involving genes, hormones and reproductive organs. In keeping with the NIH, some individuals with DSDs are raised as feminine however could have intercourse chromosomes aside from XX, or elevated testosterone ranges.
- Athletes with variations of their intercourse traits, or DSDs, aren’t the identical as transgender athletes. Conflating the 2 is inaccurate.
- Imane Khelif has adopted eligibility necessities set forth by the Worldwide Olympic Committee to compete within the Paris 2024 Olympic Video games. IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said: “Everybody competing within the girls’s class is complying with the competitors eligibility guidelines.”
- Imane Khelif participated within the 2021 Toyko Olympics and a number of different girls’s tournaments. She was disqualified from the 2023 Worldwide Boxing Affiliation (IBA) championship on account of an unspecified gender eligibility take a look at, which has completely different eligibility standards than the IOC. The IBA has since been decertified because the governing worldwide physique of boxing.
- Lin Yu-ting, additionally an Olympic boxer receiving backlash, was equally disqualified from the IBA championship final 12 months for an unspecified gender eligibility take a look at. Yu-ting additionally competed within the 2021 Olympics and met all standards.
- The Olympic Constitution states that entry to sport is a human proper.
- The IOC affirms the necessity for inclusivity and non-discrimination to be paramount. Athletes who’re capable of compete, following all eligibility standards, need to be protected, welcome and included in sports activities.
- Transgender and intersex athletes have been part of international sports activities since a minimum of the Thirties.
- The Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) introduced final month that for the primary time in historical past, the Paris Video games will characteristic full gender parity on the Olympic fields of play. Transgender inclusion has had no damaging impact on participation and parity on the Olympics, or every other stage of participation. This truth mirrors analysis on transgender participation displaying U.S. states with inclusive insurance policies have extra women and girls taking part in sports activities than states with bans.
- Reporters should be aware the (IOC) launched pointers greater than two years in the past to help transgender participation, written in seek the advice of with medical, athletic and human rights professionals, stating there needs to be “NO PRESUMED ADVANTAGE BASED ON SEX ASSIGNED AT BIRTH OR SEX CHARACTERISTICS.”
- IOC suggestions moreover embrace guiding ideas for all sport federations to observe, encouraging:
- Inclusion of athletes of all gender identities;
- Use of an evidence-based strategy in setting up guidelines;
- Stopping athletes from present process pointless procedures or therapies to be eligible.
- Almost 200 out LGBTQ athletes from around the globe are competing on the Paris 2024 Video games.
- The IOC launched a media information that features steerage on reporting on transgender and nonbinary athletes. The Olympic Broadcast Companies has additionally dedicated to overlaying all athletes and gender identities precisely, pretty and inclusively, and has dedicated to parity in its broadcast manufacturing. For Paris 2024, this consists of hiring roughly 35 feminine commentators and guaranteeing balanced gender illustration amongst senior employees and venue manufacturing groups.
From interACT Government Director Erika Lorshbough (they/she):
“We stand for the proper of all girls to take part in athletics, together with these born with variations of their intercourse traits corresponding to chromosomal or hormonal variations. It’s disappointing to see hate in response to competitors going down on the Olympics, which needs to be a joyous celebration of high-level athletic ability. Commentary misconstruing elite-level competitors between girls athletes as violence is shameful. All girls ought to be capable of take part of their sports activities free from discrimination and exclusion that’s antithetical to the spirit of sport itself.”
From GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis (she/her):
“Imane Khelif’s win on the Paris 2024 Video games needs to be a triumph for her and her residence nation, nevertheless it’s sadly been clouded by baseless transphobia, misinformation and hate. Imane isn’t transgender and doesn’t determine as intersex. Listed below are the information: The Paris 2024 Video games are essentially the most inclusive ever and have essentially the most out LGBTQ olympians competing. This consists of a number of athletes who don’t match gender expectations, who all adjust to competitors eligibility guidelines set by the IOC. All Olympians ought to be capable of compete freed from discrimination and needs to be celebrated for his or her achievements in sport.”
To make sure complete and truthful protection of LGBTQ olympians, GLAAD’s 2024 Olympics and Paralympic Information was created in collaboration with Athlete Ally and Satisfaction Home France, and produced by the GLAAD Media Institute, GLAAD’s coaching, analysis and consulting division. Learn extra at GLAAD.org/Institute and help GLAAD’s work right here.