We are writing to you ahead of the Brampton Cup scheduled for February 1st to discuss the impact of the values of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in women's amateur sports and boxing in particular.
• Also read: Letter to Boxing Canada raises issue of trans athletes
• Also read: A Quebec woman refuses to confront a transboxer for safety reasons
• Also read: Fight canceled: Transgender boxer wants to continue practicing her sport
The adoption of these values raises delicate debates. For example, in the name of inclusion, swimmer Lia Catherine Thomas, a biologically male but trans-identified woman, was allowed to compete in women's swimming events and won the gold medal, despite poor previous performances in the men's event (65th place).
In contrast, the International Athletics Federation has decided to exclude transgender athletes who have experienced male puberty from the female categories, deeming their biological advantage unfair.
Game cancelled
This debate also affected boxing last October. The canceled fight between boxers Katia Bissonnette and Mya Walmsley caused a lot of excitement not only in the world of boxing. Bissonnette pulled out of the fight when she learned at the last minute that her opponent was actually a biological male. She was right to fear for her safety since she had no information about her opponent: What was his testosterone level? Had he even undergone gender reassignment surgery? The tournament organizers withheld all of this important information.
Mauricio Sulaiman, the president of the World Boxing Council (WBC), one of the four international professional boxing organizations, honored Bissonnette with an honorary gold medal in recognition of his wise decision. It is clear that the WBC also sent a message to Boxing Canada with this award.
We will not teach you that fairness is an important value in amateur boxing. For this reason, there are different categories of boxers based on their weight. Therefore, we implicitly admit that it would be unfair to pit a heavyweight against a featherweight.
However, the confrontation between a biological man and a biological woman in a boxing match raises an equally relevant question of fairness. It's not just about justice, as in swimming and athletics, but also clearly about the boxer's safety.
irresponsibility
Obviously, it would be completely irresponsible to let a man compete in the women's category based solely on his feelings. Gender transition is therefore mandatory, but not sufficient. Testosterone levels are certainly just as relevant as weight. In fact, taking female hormones does not retroactively eliminate all masculine traits that give a man an unfair advantage in a fight against a woman. In particular, science shows that natural selection has clearly favored men based on the strength and physiology of their fists. We remind you that sex is not a social construction, but an immutable biological reality that has its origins in the very different roles played by men and women in the Paleolithic. Obviously our morals have changed a lot since then, but our genetics have remained essentially the same.
Walmsley's argument that measuring testosterone is “intrusive” is insane at best. In fact, doping controls have long been the norm and are no less intrusive. Since when do we rely on the goodwill of athletes?
Therefore, it is essential for Boxing Canada to establish clear and fair criteria for the participation of transgender athletes and communicate these to other female boxers so that they can properly assess the risks they are taking. This organization must remember that if its criteria are too permissive, we risk seeing several women abandon this sport.
In the meantime, it is important to clearly identify transgender athletes so that other female boxers can make informed decisions. Please understand that if you fail to fulfill this basic obligation and in the event of a fatal injury, you may be accused of negligence resulting in death (§ 220 StGB).
We hope that you will consider these crucial points for safety and fairness in your sport until the next tournament.
Romain Gagnon, engineer
Michèle Sirois, Anthr., President PDF Québec
Normand Baillargeon, PhD.
Marie-Claude Girard, retired Canadian Human Rights Commission
François Chapleau, PhD., Prof. Emeritus UdO
Yvon Dallaire, M.Ps.
Andrea Richard, author
Louise Mailloux, PhD.
Michel Belley, M.Sc., President of the Quebec Skeptics
Annie-Ève Collin, M.Phil.
Michel Virard, engineer
Michel Pion, vice-president of the Humanists of Quebec
Francine Boucher, MP
Lyne Jubinville, B.Sc.
Pierre Cloutier, founding member of the Skeptics and Humanists of Quebec
Monique Parent, author
Yves Rocheleau, former deputy for Trois-Rivières
Nadia Alexan, M.Litt.
Martine Michaud, MA
Daniel Dulude, feminist activist