Does Imane Khelif Belong in the Women’s Ring?

What happened in that Olympic women’s boxing match? Imane Khelif of Algeria pummeled Angela Carini of Italy for 46 seconds before Ms. Carini threw in the towel. The Algerian boxer is biologically male but allowed to compete in the female category, raising concerns about fairness and safety. Imane Khelif isn’t transgender, but the language of transgender ideology has led to widespread confusion.

Trans-identified men have fought women, with disastrous results. Fallon Fox inflicted a concussion and an orbital-bone fracture on an opponent in 2014 and has bragged on social media about injuring women in the ring. But Imane Khelif appears to have what is known as a difference of sexual development, or DSD, not a transgender identity. DSDs are complex and confusing enough without the added layer of ideological jargon. Here’s what we know—and don’t know:

The International Boxing Association disqualified Imane Khelif from the 2023 Women’s World Boxing Championships for failing two laboratory tests. The IBA didn’t specify the tests but said they weren’t related to testosterone levels.