MEDIA RELEASE

Family First will fight for a ban on biological males competing in women’s sports so the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games are safe.

This follows news that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has cleared two male boxers who now identify as female to compete in the women's boxing events at the Paris Olympics.

Men punching down on women should never have become an official Olympic sport.

This decision comes despite both athletes being rightly disqualified from last year's women’s World Championships for failing gender eligibility tests.

Imane Khelif of Algeria and Lin Yu-Ting of Taiwan, both disqualified from the World Championships due to their XY chromosomes, are set to compete in the women's boxing category.

This has sparked outrage and concern among former athletes and advocates for women's sports.

Prominent women’s advocate and former Liberal candidate Katherine Deves posted on X today that the Zambian women’s Olympic soccer team which gave the Matildas a scare had a male player, Barbara Banda.

Family First opposes biological men intruding in women’s and girls’ sports and is running candidates at up-coming elections who will fight to ban the practice if elected.

The IOC’s decision also follows the controversy surrounding the opening ceremony where hyper-sexualised male entertainers identifying as women parodied women as part of the “entertainment”.

Barry McGuigan, a renowned figure in boxing, described the situation as "shocking," questioning the IOC's decision.

"It's shocking that they were actually allowed to get this far, what is going on?" he expressed on X.

The dangers posed by allowing biological men to compete against women in sports are profound.

Nancy Hogshead, an American swimmer and three-time Olympic gold medalist, stated bluntly, "Gender ideology will get women KILLED."

She emphasized the significant physical advantages that males, regardless of their gender identity, have over females.

"Males – however they identify – pack a punch that is 162 per cent more powerful than women – THE biggest performance gap between men and women," Hogshead added.

The story of Mexico's Brianda Tamara, who faced Khelif in the ring, further illustrates the risks.

"When I fought with her, I felt very out of my depth," Tamara recounted on X.

"Her blows hurt me a lot, I don't think I had ever felt like that in my 13 years as a boxer, nor in my sparring with men. Thank God that day I got out of the ring safely."

Despite the evidence and concerns, the IOC maintains that all athletes in the boxing tournament comply with the eligibility and medical regulations.

An IOC spokesperson asserted, "All athletes participating in the boxing tournament comply with the competition's eligibility and entry regulations, as well as all applicable medical regulations."

This is code to mask the IOC’s disdain for women’s rights.

The decision to allow Khelif and Yu-Ting to compete not only endangers female athletes but also undermines the integrity of women's sports.

It sets a dangerous precedent where biological men, with inherent physical advantages, can dominate and potentially harm their female competitors.

As the controversy unfolds, it is crucial to prioritize the safety and fairness of women's sports, ensuring that the competition remains a level playing field.

Family First has been critical of former Liberal Prime Minister Scott Morrison who said before the 2022 election his party had no plans for a bill to protect women’s and girls’ sports from the intrusion of biological males.

For more information contact lead Senate candidates Lyle Shelton (NSW) or Bernie Finn (Victoria) at [email protected].