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For women athletes of color, scrutiny of gender and identity rules is part of a long-standing trend

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PARIS (AP) — An emotional Algerian boxer, Imane Khelif, left the ring in tears after a resounding victory this weekend. Khelif faced days of hateful comments and false accusations about her gender after her first fight with an Italian opponent who surrendered after a few seconds of the fight.

“It’s because she’s African, because she’s Algerian,” Algerian fan Adel Mohammed, 38, said Saturday after Khelif won her Olympic medal. “These comments come from white people… it’s a kind of racism.”

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Women of color athletes have historically faced disproportionate scrutiny and discrimination in terms of gender testing and false accusations that they’re male or transgender, historians and anthropologists say. Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-Ting, who won her fight Sunday after similar abuse and questions on her gender, are the newest examples of women of color finding themselves in contentious debates concerning the regulation and perception of gender in sports.

More women from the Global South or developing countries are affected by gender testing in sports, said Payoshni Mitra, director of the Center for Sport and Human Rights, a Switzerland-based human rights organization that has worked with dozens of female athletes in Asia and Africa to combat gender testing practices.

“Sports is very Eurocentric — it’s not necessarily a global approach,” Mitra said. “We need to accept women in all their diversity. And right now we’re not seeing that.”

Mitra and other proponents of the speculation and anthropologists note that international sports federations haven’t tended to advertise an understanding of diversity in terms of sex and gender identity, and that gender testing has often been conducted on athletes of color who don’t conform to typical Western, white ideals of femininity.

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In 2009, after winning the 800 meters on the world championships, South African runner Caster Semanya was sidelined for 11 months because of track and field rules regarding hormone levels. She spent years in a legal battle against the requirement that she suppress her natural testosterone with the intention to compete.

Semenya was identified as female at birth, raised as a girl and has been legally identified as a woman her entire life. She has one of several conditions often called differences in sexual development, or DSD, that cause naturally high levels of testosterone.

World Athletics, track and field’s governing body, said Semenya’s testosterone levels gave her an athletic advantage comparable to a man competing in women’s events and that rules were needed to account for that. Critics of the rules — which were introduced in 2011 and tightened through the years — see naturally high testosterone levels as a genetic gift, likening them to a basketball player’s height or a swimmer’s long arms.

“Nobody was disqualifying Michael Phelps because of the specific biological characteristics that allowed him to be successful swimmers,” said medical anthropologist Danyal Kade Doyle Griffiths, an associate professor on the City University of New York.

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Indian sprinter Dutee Chand also faced a ton of scrutiny and was thrown out of the 2014 Commonwealth Games after reports of elevated testosterone levels. She underwent rounds of testing and eventually took the international track and field federation to court, difficult regulations that placed a limit on naturally occurring testosterone levels in female athletes.

Regardless of differences in gender or hormones, women of color—and Black women specifically—have often been subjected to stereotypes that portray them as more masculine. This dehumanization and objectification dates back to slavery, when enslaved Black women were auctioned off based on their physical appearance and skills, which were perceived as more masculine or more feminine.

Conspiracy theories and misinformation have circulated online around tennis superstar Serena Williams, falsely claiming she was born a man. In 2017, she wrote an open letter to her mother, thanking her for being a role model in standing as much as individuals who were “too ignorant to understand the power of a black woman.”

Basketball star Brittney Griner has also faced similar false accusations amid criticism of black women and their bodies that is rooted in historical racism: they are sometimes seen as not feminine enough, too muscular, intimidating or masculine.

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“These examples strike me as particular cases where racism, transphobia and intersexphobia are inseparable,” Griffiths said. “This speaks to a much longer history of the way race is gendered, where black women are seen as more masculine compared to white women.”

The definition of femininity “is often based on Western notions of white femininity or standards of white beauty,” said Cheryl Cooky, a professor of American studies and women’s, gender and sexuality studies at Purdue University. If a female athlete doesn’t fit those white, Western standards, “she’s subject to those questions and those accusations.”

In Khelif’s case, the banned International Boxing Federation disqualified her from the 2023 world championships after it said she failed unspecified qualifying tests for women’s boxing events, citing elevated testosterone levels. The Russian-dominated organization — which has been at odds with the International Olympic Committee for years — has refused to offer any information concerning the tests.

“The entire process is flawed,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams said Sunday. “From the conception of the test, to the way the test was made available to us, to the way the tests became public, it is so flawed that it is impossible to engage with it.”

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Adams has previously said Khelif “was born a female, was registered as a female, lived as a female, was treated as a female and has a female passport.”

The Olympic body published a 10-principle approach to gender and gender inclusion in 2021 that recognized the necessity for a “safe, harassment-free environment” that respects athletes’ identities while ensuring the integrity of competitions. Advocates like Mitra hope they will likely be taken seriously.

Meanwhile, Algerians have come out in support of Khelif, defending her from the hateful comments. Algerian hammer thrower Zahra Tatar called Khelif’s fight “beautiful” and said “we all hope she wins the gold medal.”

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This article was originally published on : thegrio.com

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Tyler Perry praises Angie Stone at the funeral: “I’m angry with the way she was treated”

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Mogul Film and Television Tyler Perry paid tribute to the singer R&B Angie Stone on Friday, telling the church church at Word of Faith Cathedral in Austll, Ga. That he was “bad” from how she was treated in the music industry.

“I am angry with the way she was treated,” said Perry, who said that only recently he realized the challenges that the stones faced in recovering the money resulting from her label. “Thinking that this woman has been operating for all these years … All these years, all these songs, all the money that was due to her. Where is it? This is bad. “

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Stone, who died on March 1 at the age of 63 after his involvement in a automotive accident in Alabama, had previously had common In social media on January 2, that after greater than 40 years in the industry she didn’t receive license payments from her former label, Universal Music Group. “They will have to give me money,” said Stone, who said that she had only recently learned about her financial situation after asking amongst medical problems. Ironically, the night stone was killed, traveled from the concert in Montgomery.

“There is a difference between the performance because you want and the performance because you have to,” said Tyler Perry. “I am tired of vision, how we fight and go through things, I work hard and do not benefit from what we were supposed to draw.”

The Creator of the “Madei Family Meeting” and “Beauty in black” added: “You must be careful when you start treating people badly, especially God’s children, because the Bible says:” Do not touch my anointed and don’t do my prophet. “

Although Perry admitted that he didn’t know the stone, in addition to others, sharing that he often saw her at concert events, he called the soul singer a “prophet”, adding: “she prophesied and preached her own vagina.”

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Perry remembered the text of Stone’s hit “No More Rain (” In This Cloud “), saying to the congregation:” He says: “My sun came and I am flashy. There is no more rain in this cloud. “He continued:” The beauty of what she was talking about is when the cloud no longer has tears, it disperses. Disappeared. But if you listen to this song again, there is a part that I want you to really listen. She said: “What is occurring. What goes up must fall. The stuff you come back to you. “

Media tycoon praised Angie Stone for somebody who “sold kindness … (i) joy to people … sold people and her voice.” He summed up his comments: “God bless you, Angie, my heart, my soul, is with you. I am so glad that there is no more rain in your cloud. “

(Tagstransate) Angie Stone

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This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Coco Gauff’s Mometown Roots Power New Balance’s latest tennis shoe – Essence

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Coco Gauff's Mometown Roots Power New Balance's latest tennis shoe

Melbourne, Australia – January 19: Coco Gaufff from the United States celebrates victory within the match with Belind Bencic from Switzerland within the match within the fourth round of ladies’s singles through the eighth day of the Australian Open 2025 in Melbourne Park on January 19, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo of Fred Lee/Getty Images)

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The words “tennis” and “availability” had a protracted -term complex relationship. We took a glance, watching the story for the legacy of Serena and Venus Williams. It showed us that behind the splendor of central courts and trophies ceremonies (which Coco Gauff has lots), there may be a sport that many think financially. It is that this reality that makes the latest cooperation between New Balance and the Coco Gauff tennis star is especially noteworthy.

Today, New Balance and Gauff presented Delray Coco, a tennis shoe that pays tribute to her hometown of Florida, while coping with wider questions on who can play this sport. Available from March 13 for $ 110, shoes stand out in the marketplace, where tennis footwear often proves much higher prices.

“I am incredibly proud of launching the new Delray Coco, because this is the opportunity to expand access to people interested in playing the game and will have a positive impact on culture for the upcoming generations,” said Gaufff within the commercial. “Delray Beach helped to cause my tennis journey, so it is special for me to tell the story of this community, which influenced exactly why I love this sport.”

Coco Gauff's Mometown Roots Power New Balance's latest tennis shoe

Technically, Delray Coco provides what you may expect from ready -made footwear for competition. It has a nylon stability plate, a light-weight fuel sole for convenience and a durable rubber outer sole designed for prolonged game on various manor surfaces. The low project includes the aesthetics of tennis and basketball from the 90s, reflecting Gauff’s appeal.

“Our hope with Delray Coco is to emphasize access to sport for everyone. For Coco, a lot means that everyone who wants to play tennis should be able to choose a rocket and play, “said Evan Zeder, head of Tennis sports marketing at New Balance. “Delray Coco represents her constant commitment to promoting this integration in sport, starting from her own yard.”

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This yard – especially Pompey Park in Delray Beach – just isn’t only referred to marketing materials, but serves as a spot of premiere. New Balance and Gauff organize an event there with a campaign film show, after which a discussion with Gauff, her grandmother and inventive collaborator Joe Robinson (professionally referred to as Joe Freshgoods) about sports availability and the influence of the community.

New Balance also doesn’t end with one version of the shoe. Throughout the yr, they drop latest Delray Coco colours, releasing them together with the Gauff’s higher CG2 model. Coordinated editions mean that recreation players can take Gauff’s style, no matter their skill level. And even though it may not seem lots, it is kind of serious. Both Gauff and New Balance be sure that everyone feels on, no matter where they’re on a tennis journey.

At the top of the day, tennis still faces current questions on diversity, representation and access, and products reminiscent of Delray Coco offer a selected contribution. While shoes price 110 USD is not going to transform right into a tennis economy, this can be a step in the best direction. Delra Coco is offered all around the world at Newalance.com and chosen retail sellers with a suggested retail price of $ 110. For more information, visit newbalance.com/tennis.

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This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Jennifer Hudson breaks silence a few days after she was hit in the face with basketball during the NBA match

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Jennifer Hudson opens up about her date with Common when she “knocked up” with basketball.

The Egota winner was in Madison Square Garden on March 4 with her rapper-boy. They each sat outside, watching New York Knicks play against Golden State Warriors, when the ball suddenly flew the ball towards its direction, when Knicks Miles McBride tried to save lots of him from going outside.

In the clip of March 13 published on YouTube, “Jennifer Hudson Show” Hudson told about what happened to her audience in her talk show.

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Jennifer Hudson explains what happened when she hit the face with basketball in the NBA match. (Photo: @Iamjhud/Instagram)

After confirming the ball, she actually hit her, got up and approached her audience. She said, “So I’m sitting there and then I talk suddenly. Don’t talk when you sit outside. First of all, so I look this way, and then suddenly I am like why everyone looks crazy. And then bam! “

Hudson said it happened: “So fast, true! So I am like what the hell did me? Something had to hit me. From all people to hit, did you hit Jennifer Hudson? Really?”

Then she confirmed that “the ball actually hit me” in response to still unclear people what happened.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5M3TL9M7WA

“So I’m sitting there, and then suddenly something just hit me from blue. And I thought, “I do not know what happened”, and then suddenly people stand over me. They like “OK? Everything’s all right? And I’m like “Hold, let me only for a moment. Let me only gather my thoughts – said Hudson.

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She explained that she was hit when McBride tried to save lots of the ball. She noticed that he was crushed about the incident and “wanted to finish the whole game.” “He was like” Oh my God. I made Jennifer, Lord. And I’m like “Honey, I’m fine, go play your game,” the mother of certainly one of them continued.

As the mother of 15-year-old David Daniel Otung Jr., whom she welcomed with her former Fiancé and former WWE star David Otung, Hudson said she understood what could occur in the game, accompanying her son and his friends in basketball matches.

She and Otung Sr. They got engaged after lower than a 12 months of dates, but separated for good in 2017 after 10 years of dates.

From 2023, the star “Dreamgirls” arranged with Common, which was sitting next to her when the ball flew on her face.

Referring to the “right” actor in the next a part of her memories, Hudson said: “And my sweet love was like” Ok, is every part okay? Would you want to go away? And I’m like “I’m good, let me sit down and gather here” because the very last thing you need to do is stand up and go somewhere. No, you would like a moment. “

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But it was not a “sweetest part”, in accordance with Hudson, who then ordered the producers to throw the McBride speaking clip.

In the film he appears on the screen: “Hey, Jennifer, here is the pleasant” Deuce “McBride.” I just desired to say that I’m sorry that I got here up with you in our game last week. You know that I was in the zone, attempting to play, attempting to bring some energy, and unfortunately you were in the incorrect place at the incorrect time. I’m sorry I got something for you. We hope that we might be cool after that. I appreciate that you simply show us support and go, Knicks. “

The gift that McBride gave her was a pink bouquet of roses, which was handed over to someone from her team.

Fans replied for the incident in “Entertainment Tonight” the Instagram clip repost.

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One person said: “He does too many brahs. It was an accident. “

Another wrote: “OMG drama … next time sit in the stands. She will react. “

On her side One person said: “Good in Deuce for apologizing, making a camera and sending flowers.”

The fourth said: “These roses are beautiful.”

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Later, Hudson revealed that the dancers of the city of Knicks decided to make a spiritual tunnel when she entered the game “before it was knocked up”, identical to in the Spirit tunnel, which he creates for guests in his program. She added that she was right to participate in the All-Star game yearly in honor of the late brother Jason who would participate.

Jason Hudson is certainly one of the three relations who were killed by William Balfour, the alienated husband of Sister Jennifer, Julia, who was convicted of crimes. Jason and his mother, Darnell Donerson and her nephew, Julian King, found dead at home in Chicago in 2008.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjoz-vtwgiw

(Tagstranslat) Common

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This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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