Commonwealth Policy Center

Gender confusion was on display at the summer Olympics in Paris. The President of the Olympics’ governing body claimed that gender is no longer determined through biology. Thomas Bach, President of the IOC, said, “This is scientifically not true anymore.” The issue came to a head when a biological male not only overpowered women in boxing matches but also threatened their safety. He eventually won a gold medal. The rejection of biology has created backlash against Olympic governing committee. This makes it abundantly clear that when biology is self-defined, it has serious consequences for the categories of men and women’s sports. Women are physically threatened when men are allowed to compete against them, but also threatened is the long-term viability of women’s sports as a category.