‘Wrong on So Many Levels’: USA Boxing to Allow Trans Fighters to Compete Against Women

Of all the sports in which men claiming to be women seek to be allowed to compete against women, boxing must be among the most dangerous.

Nevertheless, USA Boxing has taken the outrageous decision of allowing men to compete in the female category of amateur and Olympic-style boxing provided they meet various criteria.

In a news release Friday, the organization announced a new transgender policy under which a “boxer who transitions from male to female is eligible to compete in the female category.”

It said the athlete must have completed “gender reassignment surgery,” must undergo quarterly hormone testing for four years after surgery and must fall below a total testosterone threshold.

“The purpose of this policy is to provide fairness and safety for all boxers,” USA Boxing said on its website.

The new policy took effect Monday.

USA Boxing introduce new Transgender policy, permitting male boxers who have transitioned to fight in the female category under specified conditions pic.twitter.com/kS9gzLu4Ih

— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) December 30, 2023

The policy is already receiving criticism from female boxers, who correctly point out that boxing involves intense physical combat as opposed to, say, track and field or soccer.

One of those critics was Australian boxer Ebanie Bridges, who won the International Boxing Federation women’s bantamweight title in 2022.

“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,” she wrote on the X platform.

“[H]owever I think it’s wrong in ALL SPORT,” Bridges continued. “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… 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 [through] before you decided [you] are now a woman.”

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… https://t.co/a58ADwPvpC

— Blonde Bomber 🥊💁🏼‍♀️ (@EbanieBridges) December 30, 2023

“I don’t care about ‘political correctness,’” Bridges said in a follow-up post. “[I]t’s politically incorrect to have a man fighting a woman.. and [I don’t care] that’s exactly what it is… this society is too soft.. this is our health and safety. The girls need to stick together or women’s sport in 50 years will be filled with male born champions.”

I don’t care about “political correctness” it’s politically incorrect to have a man fighting a woman.. and idc that’s exactly what it is… this society is too soft.. this is our health and safety. The girls need to stick together or women’s sport in 50 years will be filled with…

— Blonde Bomber 🥊💁🏼‍♀️ (@EbanieBridges) December 30, 2023

NCAA volleyball player Macy Penny, who serves as a spokeswoman for the fair play organization Concerned Women for America, similarly pointed out that the change would essentially involve fans cheering as men beat up women.

“USA Boxing to allow men to punch women on camera, under lights, with fans cheering,” she wrote on X.

USA Boxing to allow men to punch women on camera, under lights, with fans cheering. https://t.co/28ygpuQGNO

— Macy Petty (@macypetty0416) December 30, 2023

As in all sports in which men claiming to be women are allowed to compete, this move will inevitably ruin boxing for women who have trained for years to compete at the highest level.

However, it carries the added risk that men will join the sport and end up seriously injuring women because of their obvious physical advantage.

If that is the price American women must pay for “transgender equality,” then one might start wondering what incentive there will be for them to play competitive sports at all.

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Ben Kew is a conservative journalist and commentator. Originally from the United Kingdom, he studied politics and modern languages at the University of Bristol. He started his career at Breitbart London aged 20, before moving to the U.S. to cover Congress and eventually becoming the outlet’s Latin America correspondent until the end of 2020. Since then he has worked in editorial roles at RedState and Human Events. He has also written for The Spectator, Spiked, The Epoch Times, The Critic and PanAm Post.

Ben Kew is a conservative journalist and commentator. Originally from the United Kingdom, he studied politics and modern languages at the University of Bristol. He started his career at Breitbart London aged 20, before moving to the U.S. to cover Congress and eventually becoming the outlet’s Latin America correspondent until the end of 2020. Since then he has worked in editorial roles at RedState and Human Events. He has also written for The Spectator, Spiked, The Epoch Times, The Critic and PanAm Post.