I am deeply troubled by the recent remarks made by Congressman Nick Langworthy against Algerian female athlete Imane Khelif. As a resident of New York state District 23, I firmly believe that such comments reflect poorly upon our community and our country's values. Congressman Langworthy's unwarranted attack and insinuation that Ms. Khelif might be transgender is a direct insult not just to her, but to female athletes worldwide. Given the conservative nature of Ms. Khelif's home country, these comments could potentially put her in danger.

He made those remarks by sharing a New York Post story alleging that a discredited Russian sporting association the IBA, conducted "confidential" tests that determined she was "trans". Then came the "clarification" that she has "XY chromosomes", again, relying upon the aforesaid discredited Russian "confidential" test. He not only assumed  an Algerian athlete, from a highly conservative Arab-Muslim nation, where it is a crime to be trans, much less never promotes trans athletes, is "trans" but also validates a discredited Russian sporting association's "test" in doing so seems utterly astonishing. It beggars belief a sitting US Congressman would ever say such utterly silly things, as though Russian sporting agencies routinely prove their sterling "integrity" at international competitions? While we still don't know the nature of that "confidential" test, could it be that they tried to discredit her to knock her out of the competition? That seems a far more plausible answer.

In response, IOC representatives defended #Khelif from “misleading information” and declared that “Every person has the right to practice sport without discrimination,” adding that "These two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA. Towards the end of the IBA World Championships in 2023, they were suddenly disqualified without any due process.” Furthermore, none of the people who chimed in neither know whether or not Khelif is intersex nor are they qualified geneticists. Simply a dubious, unverifiable test and statement that Khelif is secretly a “man” is all Congressman Langworthy needed to hear before he regurgitated such rubbish.

For these reasons, Congressman Langworthy's behavior proves both unprofessional and unacceptable. As our representative, he should exemplify the values of respect and tolerance, not propagate hateful rhetoric. He should read up before running his mouth off on social media. This incident reveals a disturbing reflection of the "outrage porn" and "rage bait" that he routinely peddles, which increasingly erodes respect for individuals and diverse cultures. His office spent $1.6 million mostly on conducting social media campaigns that cater to his idealogues, not his consituents. In fact, he has yet to hold a single public town hall. 

In 2020, there were approximately 1.4 million transgender adults in the U.S. (source: Williams Institute). This incident denigrates them by weaponizing the transgender identity as an insult. As constituents, we demand a full retraction of Congressman Langworthy's comments, a public apology to Ms. Khelif, and a promise to behave in a manner that's becoming of a Congressman in the future. No more propagating outrage and hate speech. It's time we uphold the dignity and respect we demand for all individuals—such identities should never be used as negative implications or to fuel bigotry, neither here at home towards my fellow Americans, nor abroad.

Please stand with us to ensure that our representatives respect all individuals, regardless of their gender identity, nationality, religion, or profession. So, demand that Congressman Langworthy publicly apologize, ideally at a true public town hall. Sign the petition today.