On Friday, USA Boxing enacted a new policy that will permit so-called “transgender women,” who are simply biological males, to fight against regular females after they meet certain qualifications.
According to the Daily Wire, the policy was first proposed back in August of 2022. It dictates that male competitors must go through “gender reassignment surgery” and have their testosterone levels checked every four years after the surgery.
“The athlete must demonstrate that her total testosterone level in serum has been below 5 nmol/L (nanomoles per liter of blood) for at least 48 months prior to her first competition,” the policy states, It goes on to note that the requirement “for any longer period [is] to be based on a confidential case-by-case evaluation, considering whether or not 48 months is a sufficient length of time to minimize any advantage in women’s competition.”
“The athlete’s total testosterone level in serum must remain below 5 nmol/L throughout the period of desired eligibility to compete in the female category,” it adds.
However, the new rules noticeably get one key detail about testosterone scientifically wrong. It claims that the “normal range of testosterone for males is defined as more than 10 nanomoles per litre (10 namol/L) and normal range of testosterone for females is less than 3.1 nanomoles per litre (3.1 namol/L).” However, research from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) reveals that while the normal testosterone level for males is 10 to 35 nmol/L, the average level for women is between 0.5 and 2.4 nmol/L.
Furthermore, the guidance confirms that boxers under the age of 18 can only fight against others who are of the same biological gender, regardless of their “gender identity.” Meanwhile, the national policy was implemented as the USA Boxing International Federation is still yet to make a decision on the eligibility of “transgender” boxers.
“Since boxing’s IF has not determined transgender eligibility and boxing is considered a combat sport, USA Boxing’s overriding objective is the safety of all boxers and fair competition between all boxers,” the guidance states.
The decision comes as multiple other governing sports bodies, including those for cricket, fishing, and track and field, have implemented their own bans on transgender competitors.