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Caster Semenya Is a Woman, Tests or No Tests
"She may be a hermaphrodite, but so what? She is still a girl." Those were the words of South African Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile, who last week demanded that the International Association of Athletics Federations apologize for violating runner Caster Semenya's privacy in the face of widespread, but unconfirmed, reports that the results of her gender test had been leaked to the media.
In August, Semenya won the women's 800-meter gold medal at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin. But upon her victory, the 18-year-old South African runner came under scrutiny by competitors, who questioned whether Semenya was female or intersex, with some male and some female sexual characteristics. Soon the IAAF became involved, demanding testing to confirm Semenya's sex.
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At a Friday press conference, Stofile hinted at possible legal action against the IAAF.
Seeing South African officials stand up for Semenya and her right to define her own gender is extraordinary because -- when this happened just three years ago -- the results were much different.
In 2006, Indian runner Santhi Soundararajan was forced to return her silver medal from the Asian Games and banned from further competitions after test results showed her to have a suppressed Y chromosome, despite female characteristics. The results of her test were quickly made public and, as squeamishly as kids in a health class, Indian officials immediately distanced themselves from Soundararajan. She was barred from the upcoming Olympic games and was reported to have attempted suicide shortly after.
In Semenya's case, when word that she might have to undergo sex testing first came out, Judy wondered if the speculation was less about chromosomes and more about Semenya's refusal to bow to social convention that says female athletes should look a certain way on the track.
Despite numerous reports of leaked results, the IAAF has said it won't confirm the results until November. But, even with the confirmed test results, determining sex scientifically is still not a simple matter. Even the chromosomes that determine sex aren't so neatly boxed. A new study out from the University of Leicester shows that counter to the common scientific wisdom, the X and Y chromosomes are not completely separate but actually interact and even swap DNA regions with one another.
From India, Soundararajan has been watching Semenya's story -- so similar to her own -- unfold. Though Soundararajan was no longer able to compete after her ban, she eventually found employment as a running coach. On Monday, Soundararajan told the BBC Tamil Service that she "would have won a gold medal" in the Olympics that she was barred from competing in and that, if Semenya kept her medal, than Soundararajan wanted her silver medal returned as well. This time around, Indian sporting officials say that they'll back her.
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In August, Semenya won the women's 800-meter gold medal at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin. But upon her victory, the 18-year-old South African runner came under scrutiny by competitors, who questioned whether Semenya was female or intersex, with some male and some female sexual characteristics. Soon the IAAF became involved, demanding testing to confirm Semenya's sex.
PD toolbar!
At a Friday press conference, Stofile hinted at possible legal action against the IAAF.
Seeing South African officials stand up for Semenya and her right to define her own gender is extraordinary because -- when this happened just three years ago -- the results were much different.
In 2006, Indian runner Santhi Soundararajan was forced to return her silver medal from the Asian Games and banned from further competitions after test results showed her to have a suppressed Y chromosome, despite female characteristics. The results of her test were quickly made public and, as squeamishly as kids in a health class, Indian officials immediately distanced themselves from Soundararajan. She was barred from the upcoming Olympic games and was reported to have attempted suicide shortly after.
In Semenya's case, when word that she might have to undergo sex testing first came out, Judy wondered if the speculation was less about chromosomes and more about Semenya's refusal to bow to social convention that says female athletes should look a certain way on the track.
Despite numerous reports of leaked results, the IAAF has said it won't confirm the results until November. But, even with the confirmed test results, determining sex scientifically is still not a simple matter. Even the chromosomes that determine sex aren't so neatly boxed. A new study out from the University of Leicester shows that counter to the common scientific wisdom, the X and Y chromosomes are not completely separate but actually interact and even swap DNA regions with one another.
From India, Soundararajan has been watching Semenya's story -- so similar to her own -- unfold. Though Soundararajan was no longer able to compete after her ban, she eventually found employment as a running coach. On Monday, Soundararajan told the BBC Tamil Service that she "would have won a gold medal" in the Olympics that she was barred from competing in and that, if Semenya kept her medal, than Soundararajan wanted her silver medal returned as well. This time around, Indian sporting officials say that they'll back her.
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Comments (9)
Richard
11:43AM Sep 15th 2009
[...]
They get a free education here in the USA
and then they bitch about everyone being
treated unfairly.
They get a free education here in the USA
and then they bitch about everyone being
treated unfairly.
RATE THIS COMMENT:
(-4)
(-4) 
moderate
11:50AM Sep 15th 2009
Huh?
RATE THIS COMMENT: (-1)
(-1) rabbit0217
11:52AM Sep 15th 2009
You're an idiot. What does your post have anything to do with the article? All it shows is your bigotry and hatred to anyone of a different ethnic background than you.
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(0)
(0) rabbit0217
11:57AM Sep 15th 2009
I think both women should be allowed to compete as women. They are no different than anyother person being born with a "birth defect". Every elite athlete has a genetic edge over normal people. Why is this different than allowing a 7'4" man pllay basketball? He obviously has a genetic advantage over his peers. I feel sorry for the women having their personal medical history broadcast around the world. The IAAF should be ashamed at even having these women undergo this type of testing.
RATE THIS COMMENT:
(2)
(2) peggy beal
1:36PM Sep 15th 2009
1.
The South African governments blackmail attempts should be ignored.
2.
Fact 1: Semenya ran the race believing she was a woman
Fact 2: she crossed the finishing line 1st
Post, not prior to the race, it was found that she had 3 times more testosterone than the other competitors.
3.
These facts should be recognised in the result of the race i.e.
The outcome of the 2009 year race was that Semenya crossed the finishing line 1st. Post race it was found that she was a hermaphrodite with 3 times the testosterone of the other competitors, therefore crossing the line 1st with an unknown unfair advantage.
In the rest of the field where contestants ran within the same parameters, ..... came 1st.
Separate medals could be given, or all medals could be withheld.
These were the extraordinary circumstances of the 2009 race, and the judges decision is final.
To avoid this happening again, testing could be given to contestants where there are gender issues raised before races.
The South African governments blackmail attempts should be ignored.
2.
Fact 1: Semenya ran the race believing she was a woman
Fact 2: she crossed the finishing line 1st
Post, not prior to the race, it was found that she had 3 times more testosterone than the other competitors.
3.
These facts should be recognised in the result of the race i.e.
The outcome of the 2009 year race was that Semenya crossed the finishing line 1st. Post race it was found that she was a hermaphrodite with 3 times the testosterone of the other competitors, therefore crossing the line 1st with an unknown unfair advantage.
In the rest of the field where contestants ran within the same parameters, ..... came 1st.
Separate medals could be given, or all medals could be withheld.
These were the extraordinary circumstances of the 2009 race, and the judges decision is final.
To avoid this happening again, testing could be given to contestants where there are gender issues raised before races.
RATE THIS COMMENT:
(4)
(4) groundspeed
12:13PM Sep 15th 2009
If men cannot compete in womens events should a half man be cleared to compete with women? Hope this will clear it up one way or the other.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (1)
(1) kathryn
12:45PM Sep 15th 2009
no, if theya re going to go there, than test everybody that is going to be in any event.you see, many so called real females may look like women but may not be, and many females that some think look like a man may not be, so to be fair, test everybody.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (1)
(1) norfwest
2:33PM Sep 15th 2009
Regardless of the outcome, with respect to allowing her win to stand, life has become that much more difficult for her. The world now knows something about her that she did not know about herself.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (2)
(2) greatqb44
9:57PM Sep 15th 2009
Meanwhile..about Acorn and the 13 year old hookers.......
RATE THIS COMMENT: (-2)
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