“Fight Like a GIRL”: The Discursive Construction of Transphobia in the British and French Press Through the Representation of Imane Khelif

Abstract

This paper examines the discursive representation of Imane Khelif—a female boxer subjected to transphobic discourse based on her perceived masculinity—across British and French news media. Taking a queer theoretical approach informed by the methodological principles of Corpus-Assisted Critical Discourse Analysis, we focus on stories that relate to Khelif's contentious participation in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and its subsequent fallout. We find that, while stories in both British and French news media promote a narrative of unfairness in regard to Khelif's inclusion, the discriminatory discourse in the British press was often racially motivated, with frequent engagement of white feminist ideologies. In general, the British press was found to sensationalize Khelif and her body, aligning with tabloid journalistic practices prevalent in the UK. Conversely, French journalistic practice was generally more neutral in its reporting, frequently backgrounding the hate campaign as misinformed prejudice.