finally

[the_future_modernes]

Caster Semanya cleared to compete as a woman.

After months of speculation and gender testing, South African runner Caster Semenya is finally being allowed to compete again:

“Semenya’s lawyers told the eNews channel Wednesday that her medical team looked at test results following the 2009 world championships and their own tests and concluded that she was clear to compete.”

...

Pending official “gender verification” from the track and field’s governing body, the IAAF, Semenya plans to make her return to competitive racing at Spanish competition on June 24.MORE

Comments

[vangirl]

This is something I haven't heard of before. Is the issue that she does not look "feminine enough" to compete as a woman?

thats part of it. She is a good runner, and athltes accused her of being a man. They gender tested

[the_future_modernes]

her and the decision was that she is intersex.

Gender Test 2


Caster Semenya 2b

[vangirl]

...Ah! I probably should've googled before comment. The idea of gender testing based on outward appearance, which was my first impression of the article, kinda blew me away...Not that the fact that intersexed need to prove their gender is really any better though, but it's easier to see why it happens. :\

Thank you for the links!

[the_future_modernes]

actually, her outward appearance is why they tested her to begin with.

[vangirl]

Yeah, I'm reading about it now. (and just noticed your subject line. had a long work day and it seems to have fried my reading comprehension. orz) It seems though, if she wasn't such a stellar athlete, it wouldn't have been an issue. It seems like the main concern is that she couldn't have been so good unless she was "cheating" somehow, and the way to cheat is to apparently be a man. Nevermind the fact that most female runners tend to have a similar build regardless.

[timeasmymeasure]

Finally, is right. Although it is incredibly infuriating that they decided to test only because she didn't fit the usual outward physical stereotype of a woman.

[the_future_modernes]

yes. it is extremely frustrating that women athletes still have to maintain a very feminine gender presentation. Nevermind that people can be intersex regardless of what they look like.

[slippy]

What a relief, although this whole long story leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I wish it hadn't all been made so public in the first place, since the various issues around gender identity tend to be very private things.

[the_future_modernes]

Yeah, well the ICFA themselves went so far as to leak the results of her testing. The whole thing was disgracefully handled and methinks sex and race discrimination played a huge role.

[softestbullet]

Oh, thank god! I was not feeling hopeful about this.

[the_future_modernes]

I was, oddly enough. In fact I thought she had been cleared already!