In Washington on Saturday, former President Donald Trump, during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, once more condemned two Olympic gold medalist female boxers by falsely labeling them as men. Trump made these remarks while promising to “keep men out of women’s sports.” His attention turned to the recently concluded Olympic Games, focusing on two athletes who have been subject to international scrutiny over misconceptions about their gender.
Trump has persistently criticized transgender individuals at his rallies, particularly targeting transgender athletes. His choice of language regarding gender identity has been deemed incorrect and harmful by LGBTQ+ advocates.
The controversy surrounds two boxers, Imane Khelif of Algeria and Li Yu-ting of Taiwan. These athletes faced gender misconceptions following the International Boxing Association’s decision last year to disqualify them from the world championships for allegedly failing an eligibility test. The fallout from this decision has thrust them into the spotlight of Western debates about gender, sex, and sports.
Despite not mentioning the athletes by name, Trump incorrectly stated that “in the Olympics, they had two transitioned” athletes, saying, “They were men. They transitioned to women, and they were in the boxing.”
Khelif and Lin, born and raised as women, found themselves caught in this controversy due to the unspecified and opaque eligibility tests for women’s competition imposed by the now-banned International Boxing Association. Trump, along with other prominent figures, has voiced complaints about Khelif’s participation, previously referring to her as a man.
On Saturday, Trump reiterated his stance, describing the participation of both athletes in the games as “crazy” and stating, “It’s so demeaning to women.”
