The president of the Olympics’s governing body no longer believes in basic human biology when it comes to determining a person’s biological sex, a testament to the influence of progressive gender ideology across many major institutions.
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach suggested during a press conference Friday that identifying people’s biological sex based on their chromosomes is outdated. His comments came in response to a question about the recent controversy over two boxers competing in the women’s division after failing sex-identification tests administered by an outside sports body last year.
“This is not a question of inclusion…this is a question of justice,” Bach said in response to a question about whether inclusion is being prioritized over women’s safety. He cast doubt on the results of the International Boxing Association test that resulted in the disqualification of Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu Ting ahead of the world boxing championships last year.
“It is not as easy as some may, in this culture war, may now want to portray it, that the XX or the XY is the clear distinction between the men and women. This is scientifically not true anymore, and therefore these two are women and they have the right to participate in the women’s competition,” Bach added.
Good question from @oliverbrown_tel @Telegraph about inclusion at the expense of women’s safety.
“These two are woman and they have a right to participate in women’s competition. This is nothing to do with inclusion” says Thomas Bach
— FairPlayForWomen (@fairplaywomen) August 9, 2024
His comments align with the IOC’s “portrayal guidelines,” which hew to left-wing views on gender and biological sex determinations.
“A person’s sex category is not assigned based on genetics alone and aspects of a person’s biology can be altered when they pursue gender-affirming medical care,” the guidelines say, euphemistically referring to life-altering transgender medical procedures.
IBA president Umar Kremlev told Russian state-media agency Tass last year that the boxers were disqualified because “it was proven they have XY chromosomes.” The IBA has not publicly released the test results, but did release a statement last week addressing the controversy surrounding Khelif and Ting.
“Point to note, the athletes did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognized test, whereby the specifics remain confidential. This test conclusively indicated that both athletes did not meet the required necessary eligibility criteria and were found to have competitive advantages over other female competitor,” the IBA said.
Khelif subsequently appealed the decision but later dropped the appeal. Ting did not appeal the IBA’s determination. Neither of them identify as transgender, and Khelif is believed to have differences in sex development, a rare set of conditions where biological sex characteristics develop abnormally. Both fighters will be competing for gold medals in their respective weight classes.
Last week, Khelif became the subject of international controversy after Italian boxer Angela Carini quit 46 seconds into a fight against Khelif after taking two punches during the bout. Following the bout, a distraught Carini said the contest was unfair because of Khelif’s strength.
“Every person has the right to practise sport without discrimination,” the IOC said in a statement on the Khelif controversy.
“These two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA. Towards the end of the IBA World Championships in 2023, they were suddenly disqualified without any due process.”