USA Boxing issues strict rules on trans inclusion, but conservatives still complain

USA Boxing, the top governing body for the sport, has announced strict rules for transgender athletes’ participation, but some cisgender women boxers and conservative activists are criticizing the rules nonetheless.

The latest rule book, which went into effect with the new year, says trans women 18 and older may compete in the women’s category only if they have undergone gender-confirmation surgery and keep their testosterone under a certain level, as monitored by quarterly testing for at least four years after surgery. Trans men also must undergo surgery to compete in the men’s category and maintain testosterone above a certain level. Minors must compete under their birth gender.

The policy is “among the strictest policies for trans athletes,” NBC News reports.

Multisport governing bodies, such as the International Olympic Committee and the National Collegiate Athletic Association, have recently decided to revoke their overarching policies and allow each sport to set rules for trans participation. The IOC had not required surgery since 2016 and had deemed testosterone testing unnecessary.

LGBTQ+ groups and many scientists have opposed surgery and testing requirements as well and have pointed out that there are many other factors that contribute to an athlete’s performance besides whether the athlete is cisgender or trans. Conservatives have complained that trans inclusion will harm women’s sports, but there are actually very few trans women athletes and they are not by any means dominating women’s competitions.

However, some women boxers, along with conservative politicians and commentators, are saying USA Boxing shouldn’t allow trans participation at all. “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,” Australian boxer Ebanie Bridges wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

“It ain’t just about the test levels what about their bone density and a heap of other biological factors,” she added. “Cutting ur bits off and adding boobs won’t take back the masculine maturity your body has gone thru before you decided u are now a woman.”

Jenna Ellis, a lawyer who once worked for Donald Trump and has pleaded guilty in one of the legal cases against him, posted on the platform that “USA Boxing wants to get women killed.”

Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert added, “They’re going to allow men to beat women up in a boxing ring. This is pathetic and disgusting.”

But "dozens of boxers have been killed by cisgender boxers during matches, including a number of women," Outsports points out. "Major injuries are already a consistent aspect of the sport, before any trans woman steps into the female pro-boxing ring."

"For trans advocates, this will be viewed as a setback," Outsports continues, then concludes, "USA Boxing seems to be trying to thread the needle here, create a way for trans women to compete, but also raise the barrier to entry high enough to stave off some critics. In the end, their policy will simply piss off everyone involved in this debate."