JK Rowling to Elon Musk, Algerian female boxer Imane Khelif targeted by racist, transphobic campaign

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif has found herself amidst a bullying and hate campaign after she advanced to the quarterfinals of the women’s 66kg event, with right-wing figures and transphobes questioning her gender and eligibility to compete at the Olympics.

The attacks kicked off after Khelif, 25, was declared the winner of her bout on Thursday, after her competitor, Italy’s Angela Carini, decided to abandon the match after 46 seconds.

Carini was seen in tears after the match was over, and refused to shake Khelif’s hand after. The Italian boxer claimed that she could no longer continue after she took a punch on her nose, which resulted in some bloodying.

Instead of being able to celebrate her win, Khelif suddenly became the target of an intersection of vitriol, racism, transphobia and disinformation concerning her gender identity.

Khelif has been accused of being transgender, biologically male and intersex, despite no evidence or proof of such.

Many have claimed that Khelif has X and Y chromosomes and or high levels of testosterone. The latter is likely based on Khelif being disqualified from the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships last year, for "failing a testosterone level test," though no details were revealed on what the gender tests consisted of. The circumstances of her disqualification were also deemed "unusual" at the time. Another boxer, Taiwanese Lin Yu Ting, was disqualified on similar grounds.

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling fanned the flames of the debacle, accusing Khelif, of "being a man protected by a misogynist sporting establishment enjoying the distress of a woman he’s just punched in the head" in a post on X.

Over the years, Rowling has been criticised for her controversial views on transgender people, even pushing Harry Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson to distance themselves from her views.

A flurry of right-wing to far-right social media accounts took to the X platform to throw more baseless accusations at Khelif, with posts amassing millions of likes.

Among those were X owner and Tesla founder Elon Musk, who replied "absolutely" to a post by swimmer Riley Gaines who said "Men don’t belong in women’s sports".

British broadcaster Piers Morgan involved himself, publishing an article in UK tabloid The Sun accusing the boxer of "not being a biological woman", calling her win against Carini "a sickening sight".

Italian politicians also weighed in. Italian populist deputy PM Matteo Salvini called Khelif’s victory "truly an-Olympic scene".

"Shame on the bureaucrats who allowed a match that was obviously not on equal terms," he said.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, also a right-wing and conservative politician, said the win was "unfair", and questioned Khelif’s right to compete at the Olympics.

It was later revealed that Carini is a police officer in Italy, and activists have criticised her for "cosying up to the far-right" after meeting and speaking with the likes of Meloni.

Amid the hate campaign, several activists took to Khelif’s defence. Many accused the right-wing brigade of racism against the Algerian boxer due to failing to conform to "Western standards" of womanhood and femininity.

Many high-profile figures have lent their support to the Algerian boxer. UK Labour MPs Zarah Sultana and Nadia Whittome criticised the transphobia and racism Khelif has been subjected to, saying that the attacks don't only "hurt trans people, but also other women who don't fit conventional ideas of femininity".

Many drew comparisons with cases involving US tennis player Serena Williams, Indian sprinter Dutee Chand and South African sprinter Caster Semenya – all black and non-white women who have been accused of "not being female" following success in their respective sports.

Khelif is assigned as a female at birth and was raised as such. Soon after the hate campaign started, childhood images of the boxer, who hails from a village in the northwestern province of Tiaret, were posted online to "prove" her gender.

Activists also pointed out that the idea of Khelif being transgender is "unlikely" as Algeria prohibits gender reassignment surgery.

The International Olympic Committee defended the Algerian boxer's participation in the Games, stating that her eligibility is based on the previous Olympics’ regulations, which cannot be changed mid-competition.

"The current aggression against these two athletes is based entirely on this arbitrary decision, which was taken without any proper procedure – especially considering that these athletes had been competing in top-level competition for many years," the IOC said.

"The IOC is saddened by the abuse that the two athletes are currently receiving," it added. "Every person has the right to practice sport without discrimination."

"These two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA," the IOC said concerning the disqualification. "Towards the end of the IBA World Championships in 2023, they were suddenly disqualified without any due process.

The International Boxing Association is no longer recognised by the IOC,  with spokesperson Adams saying the "decision was initially taken solely by the IBA Secretary General and CEO" and "without any due process". The IBA has come under fire for being involved in corruption scandals.

Prior to the Olympics, Khelif has played 50 matches throughout her boxing career, and has only competed against women. Khelif has lost nine times and has had four draws, proving that several female competitors have been stronger than her, contrary to what the disinformation online is suggesting.

Additionally, the 25-year-old competed at the 2021 Olympics held in Tokyo, without any controversy.  

Khelif is due to box against Hungarian Luca Hamori on Saturday for a place in the semifinals, which will undoubtedly subject her to more unwarranted scrutiny. Though supporters and fans are hoping the hate doesn't impact her. After all, Khelif is seeking a top spot on the podium.

In a post-match interview on Thursday, Khelif told BBC Sport: "I'm here for gold - I fight everybody".