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 She’s Fast, but Is She a Woman?Posted on Aug 19, 2009
South Africa’s 18-year-old Caster Semenya, the new 800-meter world champion, is so fast the International Association of Athletics Federations has dispatched an endocrinologist, a gynecologist, an internist, a genderist (?) and a psychologist to determine whether she’s actually female. That has to be an awkward conversation. And how is this development supposed to make women feel? A spokesman said, “The gender verification test is an extremely complex procedure.” How complex can it possibly be? —PS
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By coloradokarl, August 22 at 12:02 am #
It takes specialists? I can tell with one whi….errr… Never Mind
Report thisBy 80-T, August 21 at 3:46 pm #
As good as the best. Genetically, that’s just generally not possible in professional sports.
Report thisBy Caitlin, August 21 at 2:27 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Point: Why must athletes be segregated at all? Personally, I prefer co-ed sports.
Guys typically are better athletes, and by practicing with them, I got better.
“How good does a female athlete have to be before you just call her an athlete?”
Report thisBy 80-T, August 20 at 10:49 am #
Hulk2008: Gender is an issue when discussing fairness in WOMEN’S RACING.
Caitlin: She’s a fast runner, but nobody’s claiming that she could beat men. The point is, in WOMEN’S RACING you need to be a WOMAN, because the reason there IS a separate division is because WOMEN are typically SLOWER than men because of DIFFERENT anatomy. Get a life and lose the fami-nazi blindness.
Leefeller: Your comment don’t even make any sense.
Report thisBy Hulk2008, August 20 at 10:28 am #
Wait until we build a fleet of robo-athletes - they will be asexual and lots faster than humans. Why is gender an issue?
Report thisBy drkimpa, August 20 at 1:47 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
“It shouldn’t matter if there’s a penis or a vagina -
this person is a fast runner. Good enough for me.”
The above comment completely misses the point. If s/he is phenotypically male, 1:54 for the 800m is not even in the ballpark of international level competition for men. In fact, it doesn’t even approach U.S. high school national level competition. It might place in the top three or four at the high school state championship level.
Report thisBy Michael Janias, August 20 at 1:00 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
This post gives more insight into the gender question:
http://www.wastedcarbon.com/2009/08/how-tell-gender-south-african-runner/
Report thisBy Caitlin, August 20 at 12:00 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
“Gender” has got to be one of the most absurd concepts in our lexicon. Is “gender”
Report thiswhat’s between your legs, how you think, or how you act? And what if what’s
between your legs don’t match how you act? Gender segregation is myopic in
nature and reifies inequality. It shouldn’t matter if there’s a penis or a vagina -
this person is a fast runner. Good enough for me.
By Leefeller, August 19 at 8:28 pm #
It shouldn’t really matter, because I support and believe in women’s rights. Wait until you see the centerfold in Playboy.
Report this