As the Olympics are happening in Paris, there’s a lot of news coming from the city. While people celebrate some athletes’ achievements, others are facing controversy.
Keep reading to learn more about this situation.
Many people, including major celebrities, are upset about an Algerian Olympian competing in this year’s Paris Olympics. Her gender is being questioned.
The issue escalated during the quarterfinal match for the women’s 66kg boxing event. Imane Khelif from Algeria was fighting Italy’s Angela Carini. During the match, Khelif landed a heavy punch on Carini, causing the Italian Olympian to withdraw just 46 seconds into the match.
The event caused more people to question whether Khelif is “biologically female,” and they felt it was unfair for Italy’s Carini to fight someone they believe was not “female.”
Logan and Jake Paul both expressed frustration with the Olympic Committee’s decision to allow Imane Khelif to compete. Logan even called it “the purest form of evil.”
Logan Paul has since taken back his statement. He deleted his initial tweet about Khelif, which said, “This is the purest form of evil unfolding right before our eyes. A man was allowed to beat up a woman on a global stage, crushing her life’s dream while fighting for her deceased father. This delusion must end.”
People were upset that Paul called Khelif a man, so he deleted his post and wrote a retraction saying, “Oopsies.” He added, “I might be guilty of spreading misinformation like many others. Although she’s been previously disqualified for failing a ‘gender test’ and has XY chromosomes, some sources say Imane Khelif was born a biological woman.”
He continued, “I stand by my belief that biological men should not compete against biological women in any sport, and if you disagree, you’re a sick f***.”
Claressa Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, also said she was “heartbroken” for all the women boxers competing in the Olympics this year.
Author J.K. Rowling, who has been vocal about her opposition to trans people and transitioning in general, also contributed her two cents.
She wrote, “The smirk of a male who’s knows he’s protected by a misogynist sporting establishment enjoying the distress of a woman he’s just punched in the head, and whose life’s ambition he’s just shattered.”
Many other prominent figures, including Elon Musk, Dez Bryant, and Sauce Gardner, also contributed their two cents on this issue.
What do you think about this entire situation? Share this with others to get the conversation going as well!
