Imane Khelif proved her dominance in the ring at the Olympics, winning gold while facing an onslaught of transphobic hate. Now, the Algerian boxer is taking her fight to court against two of the most odious, and influential, transphobes of our time.

Khelif named both JK Rowling and Elon Musk in a criminal complaint she filed to French authorities over the cyber harassment she’s experienced. Khelif’s attorney confirmed to Variety both figures are mentioned in the suit, along with Donald Trump.

In a statement sent to Variety, the Paris Prosecutor’s Office said it’s investigating counts of cyber harassment due to “gender, public insult because of gender, public incitement to discrimination and public insult because of origin.”

Khelif is the subject of a vile anti-LGBTQ+ smear campaign, which was ignited when one of her opponents pulled out of their bout. Last year, the International Boxing Association barred Khelif and a Taiwanese boxer from competing, due to alleged failed gender-eligibility tests.

The IOC issued a strong statement affirming the boxers’ rights to compete as women. They previously competed as women in the 2020 Games.

Khelif’s alleged failed gender test occurred under sketchy circumstances. The IBA, which is primarily funded Russia’s state energy supplier, Gazprom, is in a long-running dispute with the IOC. The organization also doesn’t publicly release the findings of their tests.

But the murky details haven’t stopped stop right-wing commentators from spewing hatred towards her. The discourse has become so incensed, Khelif’s father even released her birth certificate, showing she was assigned female at birth.

Still, the harassment continues. Khelif pledged to seek her revenge in the form of a gold medal.

“It can destroy people, it can kill people’s thoughts, spirit and mind. It can divide people. And because of that, I ask them to refrain from bullying,” she said. “God willing, this crisis will culminate in a gold medal, and that would be the best response.”

Rowling and Musk are two of her biggest online tormenters. The now-disgraced Harry Potter author shared a noxious deluge of lies about Khelif, including posts that called her a “man.”

In one reply, Rowling misgendered Khelif and falsely accused her of “enjoying the distress of a woman he’s just punched in the head.”

One of the most prolific posters of transphobic material online, Rowling’s account has curiously been silent since August 7. Unfortunately, we can’t say the same for Musk, who also shared content that misgenders Khelif.

The unhinged Tesla founder is arguably more visible on his platform than ever, fresh off a glitchy and embarrassing two-hour convo on Twitter spaces with Donald Trump. The event was delayed by more than 40 minutes due to technical difficulties, which Musk blamed on a “massive” cyberattack.

😂😂😂

Related*

Throughout the interminable interview, the slurring 78-year-old GOP nominee repeated himself and spoke with an audible lisp. His strange-sounding drawl could be blamed on his cheap $20 microphone… or possibly his dentures.

The convo, in addition to being mind-numbing, may also send Musk to court. A Democratic PAC filed a complaint with the FEC over the stunt.

Musk, who reportedly committed $45 million per month to a Trump Super PAC before denying it, is now one of the criminally convicted ex-president’s biggest backers. But with Kamala Harris rising past Trump in the polls, it looks like Elon may be supporting a loser.

He’s aligned himself with some of the most loathsome figures in politics… like Ted Cruz, who thinks he’s “awesome.” (Rule of thumb: Whenever Ted Cruz says something is “awesome,” it definitely isn’t.)

While Elon’s buffoonery is easy to mock, the red-pilled billionaire’s transphobia is no laughing matter. Just last week, he misgendered his estranged trans daughter in front of his 193 million followers.

Vivian Jenna Wilson, showing more poise than her father could ever imagine, responded with a savage takedown.

“Look, I don’t know if you genuinely believe this or if you live in your own delusional fantasy land and frankly, I don’t care,” Wilson wrote. “It seems to me like you’re trying to rebuild your brand image as the ‘caring paternal father’ which I will not let go unchallenged.”

A few paragraphs later, she delivered her most cunning follow-up. “I understand your new angle is this ‘western values/christian family man’ thing but it’s such a weird choice,” she said. “You are not a family man, you are a serial adulterer who won’t stop f*cking lying about your own children.”

Now that’s a knockout blow. Somewhere, Khelif is nodding her head in respect.

Related*

Help make sure LGBTQ+ stories are being told...

We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock Queerty articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?

Once Monthly Annually

Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated