Entertainment
For women athletes of color, scrutiny of gender and identity rules is part of a long-standing trend
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.”
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.
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.
Featured Stories
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.
“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.”
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.”
Entertainment
Meagan Good’s Ex-Husband DeVon Franklin Stirs Controversy With Shocking Cabo Adventure With Mystery Woman
DeVon Franklin could have finally moved on from his ex-wife, actress Meagan Good, after their divorce was finalized in 2022. The Seventh-day Adventist pastor’s photos could possibly be an indication that Franklin has a brand new love, and fans online are intrigued.
Franklin was spotted walking hand in hand with a mystery woman with short hair. He was recently spotted with the identical woman, who has been identified as Los Angeles-based personal trainer Maria Castillo. The Flawed & Fit rep recently shared photos from her trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, on her Instagram page.
Shadow Room takes screenshots of Castillo’s selfies, one in all which shows her and the back of a person wearing a necklace just like the jewellery previously seen around Franklin’s neck.
Recently, the 46-year-old motivational speaker also gave the impression to be holidays in a tropical setting. They also follow one another on Instagram.
“Maria soft launched on IG with her man while they were both on vacation in Cabo! Y’all know the roommates are CIA and recognized his chain and ear and immediately put two and two together,” the caption read.
Their followers weighed in on the rumored relationship. One person wrote, “He definitely doesn’t want any church woman.” Another joked, “The pastor is keeping him in a bad place.”
Additionally, Good was mentioned within the comments section, as one commenter wrote, “He thought those church ladies were giving Meagan hell. Honey, they’re about to give her 100x more.”
One response was, “No, they are not. The church members were jealous of the love Megan already had and received before her marriage.”
Another person replied, “He doesn’t care…because he left the church. He made over ten million after marrying Meg. He’s all about (the money).”
Referring to her previous marriage, one person said, “Well! Modesty, or lack thereof, was not the issue.”
Castillo is originally from Fort Mill, South Carolina. She graduated from the University of South Carolina on the Darla Moore School of Business with a double major in marketing and management and a minor in French. She moved to Los Angeles at age 22, around the identical time she launched her fitness brand.
Franklin and Good began dating in 2011. The former couple married in June 2012 before Franklin filed for divorce in December 2021, citing “irreconcilable differences.” Their divorce was finalized in June 2022.
“As we celebrate nearly a decade of marriage together and a love that is everlasting. No one is to blame, we believe this is the next best chapter in the evolution of our love,” Franklin and Good said in a joint statement in 2021. People.
They continued, “We are incredibly grateful for the life-changing years we have spent together as husband and wife. We are also incredibly grateful to God for the witness that has grown in both of us and for blessing our lives with each other.”
In March 2024, Franklin appeared on Nick Cannon’s show “Counsel Culture.” Of his failed marriage, the “Produced by Faith” writer said, “I wouldn’t say it was a failure because maybe it did exactly what it was designed to do. So that was also a perspective that I had to learn as I went through the healing process.”
During their marriage and relationship, Good was criticized by fellow Christian believers about her wardrobe decisions and a few of her decisions.
“I know that some of my choices, some of the things that I wear, some of the things that I work on, not everyone in the church understands that,” she told People magazine in 2021. “And that’s OK, because at the end of the day, it’s between me and God and whether I feel convicted in my spirit or not.”
Meagan Good and Jonathan Majors 👑 photo: twitter.com/983n8RLeVK
— December (@29dez) June 7, 2024
Good is currently dating Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania actor Jonathan Majors. The two Hollywood stars went public with their relationship in May 2023. Three months earlier, Majors was accused of assaulting his then-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, in New York City.
In December 2023, a jury found Jonathan Majors guilty of 1 count of third-degree reckless assault and a count of harassment as a violation. He avoided jail time when a judge sentenced the Yale School of Drama graduate to probation, a $250 high-quality, and a 52-week personal counseling program.
Following the guilty verdict, Marvel Studios released Majors from his recurring role as Kang the Conqueror within the Marvel Cinematic Universe film series. Good supported Majors throughout his high-profile criminal trial.
Speculations about Franklin’s recent love have been ongoing since March 2024. Franklin was photographed having dinner with a mystery woman in West Hollywood, California.
If Maria Castillo is Franklin’s newest date, it looks like they’re attempting to keep things a secret for now. Neither person has publicly confirmed the connection as of this writing.
Despite social media backlash over her potential relationship with Franklin, a devout Christian, Castillo has expressed her appreciation for Christian-like values.
In a 2020 interview Trip to Los AngelesShe said, “I was raised to value kindness and empathy most in myself and others, and this has played an invaluable role in my success.”
Entertainment
‘She Needs to Stop Trying So Hard’: Jennifer Lopez Returns to Red Carpet Half-Naked, Critics Say ‘You Can Feel Her Desperation’
Hollywood star Jennifer Lopez turned heads in a daring, cut-out, disco ball-style dress on the premiere of her latest film, ‘Unstoppable,’ through the 2024 Toronto Film Festival. However, the 55-year-old’s outfit selection sparked criticism, with some saying it was inappropriate for her age and role as a mother, seeing it as a cry of ‘desperation’.
It was her first public appearance since she filed for divorce from Oscar winner Ben Affleck on August 20, ending their two-year marriage.
“Unstoppable” chronicles the true journey of wrestler Anthony Robles, who, despite being born with one leg, made headlines when he achieved the extraordinary feat of winning the 2011 NCAA Individual Championships while representing Arizona State University. In the film, Lopez plays Anthony’s mother, Judy.
At the Sept. 6 show, Lopez wore a floor-length silver Tamara Ralph dress with high slits on either side, tied with large, flowing black velvet bows. The sexy gown revealed bits of her breasts and hips.
Her outfit was accomplished with Dolce & Gabbana platform shoes, Hassanzadeh jewelry and a Judith Leiber metal clutch bag, According to to the People.
Despite the high fashion selection, fan reactions were mixed.
After the Extra TV program common In the TIFF red carpet photos, some fans praised her look, with one stating, “MUVA (heart eyes and smiles) ATE.”
Another fan added: “She looks great! People have a lot of hate and negativity. La Diva Lopez.”
Many other fans weren’t impressed, with one commenting mockingly: “Hey, look at me… Desperation.”
Another added: “This is desperate but ok it’s shiny.”
Critics were merciless, with one other saying: “She needs to stop trying so hard!” and “Always trying to get attention. Ben doesn’t care! Bye.”
The negative feedback continued, with comments comparable to, “Her kids need her and she’s looking for her next victim” and “It’s getting so boring with JLO….overexposure everywhere. No class. Sad for her kids.”
One particularly harsh critic noted, “The desire is real.”
Lopez’s latest divorce from Affleck is her fourth within the last 27 years.
In 1997, across the time of her breakthrough film Selena, she first married Ojani Noa. They were married for lower than a 12 months.
In 2002, she married her second husband, Chris Judd.
Her longest marriage was to singer and actor Marc Anthony in 2004, with whom she has twins.
Lopez and Affleck first dated in 2002, following her divorce from Judd, and rekindled their relationship in 2021, tying the knot in 2022. Unfortunately, their union didn’t last long. Lopez filed for divorce in August, listing April 26, 2024 as their separation date.
“Unstoppable” is the most recent project Lopez and Affleck have worked on together as a married couple, co-producing the biopic under the “Daredevil” actor’s production company, Artists Equity, which he runs with Matt Damon.
Affleck skipped TIFF, opting to work out of his Los Angeles office on the day of the premiere, According to to the New York Post.
Paparazzi captured photos of the actor in a navy blue suit, sunglasses and with a broad smile.
Since his split from the Bronx star, fans have noticed the “Good Will Hunting” actor has been looking noticeably happier. Recent photos show him happily picking up fast food at his rented apartment in Brentwood — a stark contrast to the usually somber expressions he wore while with the “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” singer.
It is unclear whether he plans to attend upcoming screenings of the film or whether he’ll leave the promotion of the sports biopic entirely to his ex-wife.
Entertainment
Tiffany Haddish’s shocking NYFW stunt to beat Paris Hilton backfired as Furious fans called the actress a ‘puppet’
Fans are rolling their eyes at Tiffany Haddish’s embarrassing moment on the runway during New York Fashion Week.
On Saturday, September 7, the comedian was spotted front row at the Monse Maison fashion show. A series of videos captured Haddish sitting with co-stars Paris and Nicky Hilton and their mother, Kathy Hilton, as they checked out and discussed Monse’s latest fashion trends.
As the models left the runway, the silence during the show took an unexpected turn.
“Yes, now go. Nothing’s happening,” viewers might be heard shouting as she snaps her fingers, encouraging Haddish to take an impromptu runway walk before the next round of models begins. The Hilton family and other guests in the front row laughed as Haddish followed Kathy’s advice and stormed onto the runway.
Though she looked stunning in a green pantsuit, some viewers called Haddish’s latest stunt one more example of her at all times “overdoing it.”
“Peeling and jiven” and “they don’t invite her back” – these are the comments of two viewers after Hollywood Unlocked shared a video.
Another follower said: “Very rude and classless. They made her a puppet and she gave up. So sad.”
Another commenter added: “If she wants to be a clown (clown emoji) let her.”
One fan put herself in the designer’s shoes: “As a designer, I would be pissed about this and would never be invited to my show or any show if I had something to say. Is this serious, to make people laugh? And do you have to do this at my show at the expense of my hard work?!”
Paris Hilton shared video on her pagewhere a few of the comments seemed a bit off. Several of them stated, “@kathyhilton you’re the best,” and called the Hilton family “royalty,” and even mentioned that “not all the pieces has to be about race.
However, most commenters weren’t in favor of the Hiltons difficult Haddish to pull such a nonsensical stunt, and much more commenters were horrified and embarrassed that Haddish agreed to it.
“Sometimes people aren’t laughing with you because they’re laughing at you. Know your audience,” one person wrote. “Let’s make this black girl do something funny,” one other commenter added.
“Oh, I see what the Wayans were saying,” a third commenter chimed in.
-
Press Release5 months ago
CEO of 360WiSE Launches Mentorship Program in Overtown Miami FL
-
Business and Finance3 months ago
The Importance of Owning Your Distribution Media Platform
-
Press Release5 months ago
U.S.-Africa Chamber of Commerce Appoints Robert Alexander of 360WiseMedia as Board Director
-
Business and Finance6 months ago
360Wise Media and McDonald’s NY Tri-State Owner Operators Celebrate Success of “Faces of Black History” Campaign with Over 2 Million Event Visits
-
Film5 months ago
Time Selects Taraji P. Henson to Host ‘Time100 Special’ in 2024 on ABC
-
Press Release5 months ago
Eggstravaganza, Returning to Miramar Regional Park
-
Ben Crump5 months ago
Attorney Ben Crump vs Google Black Minority Lawsuit
-
Fitness5 months ago
At Smartwater Wellness, check in with fitness trainer Shy Lovell