Female boxer withdraws from Canadian tournament after being told her rival was transgender with an HOUR'S notice, leaving her fearing for her safety
Female boxer withdraws from Canadian tournament after being told her rival was transgender with an HOUR'S notice, leaving her fearing for her safety
by: Hani Kamal El-Din
A female boxer withdrew from a Canadian tournament after being told her rival is transgender, citing safety fears.
Dr. Katia Bissonnette, from Saguenay, claims she was given just an hour’s notice she was being matched with transgender fighter Mya Walmsley last month.
But Bissonnette withdrew at the last second after learning the identity of her opponent, resulting in Walmsley being declared the winner by default as they could not find anyone else to take her position in the same weight class.
‘Women shouldn’t have to bear the physical and psychological risks brought by a man’s decisions regarding his personal life and identity,’ Bissonnette told Reduxx. ‘There should be two categories: biological male and female.’
She also cited a study by the University of Utah which found that men can punch 163 per cent harder than women.
Studies on the strength of transgender women suggest that hormone blockers may reduce this biological advantage slightly.
According to Boxing Canada, a trans fighter’s identity should not be disclosed if a transition was undertaken before puberty to prevent discrimination.
However, since Walmsley is originally from Australia her history is not known, Bissonnette, who works as a psychiatrist, said.
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