Criticizing YouTube blogger-turned-WWE wrestler Logan Paul seems pointless at this point.
He gives the world plenty to feed. Cryptocurrency and NFT Fraud Allegations; of Countless Controversy Surrounding Prime Hydration, a sports drink company he co-founded with fellow YouTubers. declaration The infamous “be gay for one month” post, which suggested being gay was a choice Japan’s “Suicide Forest” Video A video published on YouTube in 2017 contained uncensored footage of what appeared to be a dead body.
There are many reasons to keep the billionaire in the critical spotlight, and this is by no means an exhaustive list of Paul’s controversies.
Knowing this, it was not surprising that Paul stepped in again on Thursday, joining the transphobic tirade on social media surrounding Algerian Olympic boxer Imane Kherif.
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On Thursday, Kheriff defeated Italian boxer Angela Carini, who retired 46 seconds into the first round, saying she had “never been hit so hard in my life.” The outcome of the bout prompted a wave of transphobia on social media from the usual anti-transgender suspects, who claimed that Kheriff, as a man, should not be fighting a woman.
Paul is one such person. X, formerly known as Twitter.
“This is evil in its purest form unfolding right before our eyes,” Paul wrote in a since-deleted post. “One man was allowed to assault a woman on a global stage and shatter her lifelong dreams while fighting for his late father. This delusion must end.”
he Doubled He made the statement in a separate post a few hours later.
“Damn! Like this whole app, I may be guilty of spreading misinformation. Some sources say Imane Kherif was born biologically female, even though she was previously disqualified for failing a “gender test” and has XY chromosomes. I firmly believe that biological males should not compete against biological females in any sport. If you don’t agree with that, you’re a sick motherfucker.”
Paul’s post, like many others, points to the International Boxing Association’s disqualification of Kherif from last year’s women’s world championships for failing a “gender eligibility test”, which forms the basis of her claims about Kherif’s gender.
of International Olympic Committee He was then caught up in the fiasco over allowing Heliv to compete in the Paris Olympics.
Very few of these posts, including Paul’s, take into account the full circumstances surrounding the so-called controversy.
IBA statement A statement on Wednesday about Kherif’s Olympic participation said he “did not undergo a testosterone test” but “underwent separate approved testing, the details of which will be kept confidential.” No details were released about the tests, the lab that analyzed the results, the tests Kherif underwent or the organization that oversaw the testing process.
In the IBA statement, the organisation did not refer to Khelif as a man, despite some claims on social media.
This lack of transparency comes in part to the IOC’s decision last year to sever ties with the IBA, the official governing body of Olympic boxing. The IOC cited a continuing lack of financial transparency, ethical issues with referees and judges, and a failure to complete governance reforms as reasons for its decision to sever ties.
Another key point in the IOC-IBA split centered on current IBA president Umar Kremlyov, who has strong ties to anti-LGBTQ Russian politicians, opposed independent selection of judges and referees, and raised concerns within the IOC because he kept Russian state-owned energy company Gazprom as the sole sponsor of the IBA, despite Russia launching an invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and Gazprom’s support for the invasion.
That said, there are still many questions and ramifications that remain and will likely take time to be fully answered, but who wants to wait for the facts when social media credibility and ignorant, misleading responses are readily available among transphobes?
As abhorrent as Paul’s post is, his status as a WWE wrestler gives it another dimension. WWE’s annual “SummerSlam” event is scheduled to take place in Cleveland this Saturday, and much of the marketing for the event has revolved around Paul, a native of the Cleveland suburb of Westlake, defending his WWE United States Championship in front of his hometown crowd.
The company also has been heavily advertising Prime Energy at several events, including displaying the Prime Energy logo on the ring canvas at premium live events such as “SummerSlam.”
WWE itself has been somewhat ambivalent when it comes to how its business practices relate to the LGBTQ community.
The company has several openly LGBTQ wrestlers, especially Chelsea GreenThe organization includes messages of support for LGBTQ people in its ringwear, entrance wear, and social media posts, and has had representatives at GLAAD events in recent years, most notably openly LGBTQ wrestler Sonya Deville.
While the company has traditionally held a Pride photoshoot during Pride Month, it did not do so this year, prioritizing the incorporation of support for LGBTQ people into other social and cultural activities. Single PSA.
At the same time, WWE continues to do business with the Saudi royal family despite criminalizing LGBTQ identities, talent under contract to the company face little to no punishment for posting anti-LGBTQ slang online, and WWE programming continued to feature derogatory depictions and comments about LGBTQ people and relationships until 2022.
Paul’s comments about Kheriff came at a visually terrible time for the company, but the question now is what WWE will do about it, especially as he continues to stand by his comments.
The company’s declaration of a “new era” under the leadership of new owner Endeavor and WWE CCO Paul “Triple H” Leveque presents an opportunity to make a notable statement against transphobia through one of its most famous talents, but many have been concerned and have concluded that nothing will be done, hoping that it will die down like other controversies. However, doing nothing is also an action.
Outsports reached out to WWE for comment on Paul’s original post about Kheriff but had not heard back at the time of writing. This article will be updated if the company responds.
Source: Outsports – www.outsports.com
