XY Athletes in Women’s Olympic Boxing: The Paris 2024 Controversy Explained

The historical, political, and medical context of the Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting cases. Based on the blockbuster essay by expert Doriane Lambelet Coleman: https://quillette.com/2024/08/03/xy-a... Two Olympic boxers, Imane Khelif from Algeria and Lin Yu-ting from Taiwan, are at the center of a storm. Both have competed in women's boxing for years, but recently their eligibility has been questioned. The International Boxing Association (IBA) says tests show they don't meet the criteria for women's competition. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is still allowing them to compete. This has caused confusion and heated debate. Some people wrongly assumed these athletes are transgender, but that's not the case. Instead, this controversy is about a complex topic called disorders of sex development, or DSD. To understand this issue, we need to talk about biology. In most people, biological sex is straightforward: XX chromosomes mean female XY chromosomes mean male But nature isn't always that simple. Some people have conditions called disorders of sex development, or DSD. In sports, the most relevant DSDs affect individuals who are genetically male (XY) but may appear female at birth. Two important types are: 1. 5-alpha reductase deficiency (5-ARD) 2. Partial androgen insensitivity syndrome (PAIS) ---- Quillette is an Australian-based online magazine that focuses on long-form analysis and cultural commentary. It is politically non-partisan, but relies on reason, science, and humanism as its guiding values. Quillette was founded in 2015 by Australian writer Claire Lehmann. It is a platform for free thought and a space for open discussion and debate on a wide range of topics, including politics, culture, science, and technology. Quillette has gained attention for publishing articles and essays that challenge modern heterodoxy on a variety of topics, including gender and sexuality, race and identity politics, and free speech and censorship. --- Quillette's revenue comes from our readers. We are a grassroots organisation that relies on voluntary subscriptions and community membership as our primary revenue stream. Support Quillette by becoming a subscriber: https://quillette.com/#/portal/signup Or donate via PayPal: https://paypal.me/QUILLETTEPTYLTD?cou... We made our website using Ghost, a powerful app for new-media creators to publish, share, and grow a business around their content. It comes with modern tools to build a website, publish content, send newsletters & offer paid subscriptions to members. Try it here: https://ghost.org/?via=claire91