I have been hesitant to write this particular blog, despite the nagging sensation that it would be a public service. The nasty things said about Algerian boxer Imane Khelif over the past “16 days of glory,” aka the Olympics, have been like a recurring nightmare. I don’t want to add more noise. But I would like to provide a little perspective. That is, how did we get here?
You see, I just spent three months writing an article on the history of gender verification policies by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). When I read that the IBA and IOC are arguing over the gender testing of two boxers, I know why it’s so messy, disputed, and unclear. It’s because human beings don’t fit into neat little boxes, no matter how hard those (white wealthy gentlemen athletes) who started the Games have always tried.
It’s always been about what one researcher called “policing the binary.” It’s always been about Femininity Control.
Continue reading “Men Lurking Within/Gender Testing and the IOC”