USA Boxing is under fire after news broke of the governing body’s decision to adopt a ‘Transgender Policy’, which will essentially allow male boxers who transition to fight in the female category – starting in 2024.
The organization oversees amateur boxing in the United States – and a policy has been created to allow transgender athletes to compete under certain conditions.
Boxers “under the age of 18” will still have to compete under their birth gender.
Transgender fighters meeting all of the necessary criteria will be permitted to fight in the gender category of their choice.
The criteria include – declaring their new gender identity, completing gender reassignment surgery (bottom surgery) and undergo regular hormone testing.
Transgender fighters must undergo quarterly hormone testing and provided USA Boxing with documentation of their hormone levels for a minimum of four years following surgery.
Boxers who have transitioned from male to female must demonstrate that their total testosterone level has been below 5 nmol/L for at least 48 months prior to her first competition. The total testosterone level must remain below 5 nmol/L throughout the period of desired eligibility to compete in the female category.
“The purpose of this policy is to provide fairness and safety for all boxers,” stated USA Boxing when announcing the policy.
Several fighters have already given their take on the subject – including former world champion Ebanie Bridges.
“This is wrong on so many levels. I will never agree to this… it’s bad enough having trans women breaking records in other sports like track and field, swimming and power lifting but it’s a bit different to them breaking our skulls in combat sports where the aim is to HURT YOU not just break a record…however I think it’s wrong in ALL SPORT… I have nothing against trans but can’t be skewing the line in sport…. You don’t see reference or debates for transmen in sport… cos it’s not a threat,” Bridges stated on social media in response to USA Boxing’s decision.
“It ain’t just about the test levels what about their bone density and a heap of other biological factors. Cutting your bits off and adding boobs won’t take back the masculine maturity your body has gone thru before you decided you are now a woman. #ISaidWhatISaid
Former super middleweight champion Carl Froch has also spoken out against transgender boxers competing against women in the ring.
“It should never happen on anybody’s watch,” Froch said, according to the NY Post. “It’s a man, basically, beating up a woman. Don’t care if they’ve transgendered into a woman, and they now think they’re a woman, and they’re taking drugs to lower their testosterone intake. They’re stronger, they’re more powerful. Not all of them, you get some masculine women, that’s fine. If you get some feminine men, that’s fine.
“But we’re talking about trans women. A man born a man with the XY chromosome fighting a woman, who’s a woman with a uterus. Shouldn’t happen ever. Should be banned and outlawed. It should never, ever happen. Transgender women – women born men – they should not compete in women’s sports. Period. Full stop.”