NFL Star Benjamin Watson Urges Caution About Algerian Olympic Boxer: 'Not Trans'
PHOTO: Algeria's Imane Khelif, red, fights Hungary's Anna Hamori in a women's quarterfinal boxing match at the Summer Olympics, Aug. 3, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/John Locher)
As more details emerge in the controversy centering on Algerian Olympic boxer Imane Khelif, Super Bowl champion Benjamin Watson — an outspoken Christian — is urging people to “dig a little deeper” into the issue.
CBN News previously reported that Italian boxer Angela Carini forfeited their fight against Khelif just 46 seconds into the match, after the Algerian competitor landed a significant blow to Carini’s face.
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While the details surrounding Khelif’s sexual makeup remain murky, it appears the Algerian athlete was recognized as female at birth — not male. Additionally, Khelif does not identify as transgender. Nevertheless, Khelif was disqualified from the 2023 International Boxing Association’s Women’s World Boxing Championships after failing a gender eligibility test. That test — although it didn’t measure Khelif’s testosterone levels — reportedly indicated the competitor in question had X and Y chromosomes, which would make the athlete biologically male.
The test results led the IBA to decide Khelif and one other athlete, Lin Yu-ting, “did not meet the required necessary eligibility criteria and were found to have competitive advantages over other female competitors.”
These details, while certainly confusing, don’t provide a clear indication about Khelif’s sexual identity or how — or why — the Algerian wrestler ended up in the ring with Carini.
With that in mind, Watson has taken to his social media to encourage his followers to proceed with caution as it pertains to the particulars of Khelif’s case.
The outrage over this boxing match is understandable but I’d encourage everyone to dig a little deeper. Issues of sexuality, including trans athletes, have been lightning rods in the news lately as they should be. Men should not compete against women. However, Imane Khelif is not… pic.twitter.com/hj1Kt5GsKG
— Benjamin Watson (@BenjaminSWatson) August 2, 2024
“Issues of sexuality, including trans athletes, have been lightning rods in the news lately as they should be,” he wrote. “Men should not compete against women. However, Imane Khelif is not trans and should not be vilified as such.”
Watson noted that, while “outrage over this boxing match is understandable,” he would “encourage everyone to dig a little deeper” before sounding off on the matter.
Setting aside the details of the situation, the former NFL player said he feels badly for “both of these athletes, who are dealing with vitriol, fear, and disappointment at what should be a time of celebration.”
“Purity and fairness in sport competition matters and the [International Olympic Committee] should prioritize protecting it,” he wrote. “But I believe this situation is more complex than many people are willing to consider.”
One major detail important to consider in this case is the fact Khelif hails from Algeria, which has strict anti-LGBTQ laws, meaning those who claim such identities can be subject to imprisonment, discrimination, and vigilante violence.
With that in mind, though, it does not appear Khelif identifies as transgender or even intersex. Rather, the Olympic athlete reportedly identifies as a female with differences of sexual development, or DSD. This rare disorder can cause those who have it to develop, for example, XY chromosomes — the biological marker of a male — while otherwise developing as a female.
For further reporting on this and more details about Khelif, you can read this CBN News article.
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