Reports claim South African Runner is Intersex

[WillParkinson]

Reports claim South African Runner is Intersex

The Associated Press reports that gender test results for running sensation Caster Semenya are in, but the International Association of Athletics Federation will not release them until November.

Semenya underwent both blood and chromosome tests as well as a gynecological exam.

AP also reports that the IAAF has neither confirmed nor denied the claims made by the Sydney Daily Telegraph about Semenya’s biological make-up.

Pink News reported these claims:

“The report said the 18-year-old has three times the usual level of testosterone for a woman and has internal testes rather than ovaries and a uterus.

http://www.365gay.com/news/reports-claim-south-african-runner-is-intersex/

[LeftHander]

1. disheartening that the major outlets are saying the "H" word....nt

[Amimnoch]

3. I didn't even know that the "h" word was even derogetory.

I must admit, I thought it was just the neutral technical term. I would have used the term meaning absolutely no offense to anyone.

[imdjh]

6. It isn't. Like anything else, it's all about intent.

And the intent of some people is to keep others off balance though unpredictable offense so that every discussion erodes into a debate on terminology.

Intersex means having chromosomal abnormalities. Hermaphrodite means having male and female organs.

And here's a new one on me: gynandromorph (read likes it was coined last week but apparently dates to 1890)

Main Entry: gyn·an·dro·morph
Pronunciation: \ˌgīn-ˈan-drə-ˌmȯrf, ˌjin-\
Function: noun
Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary, from Greek gynandros + -morph
Date: circa 1890
: an abnormal individual exhibiting characters of both sexes in various parts of the body : a sexual mosaic

[Christa]

2. My heart goes out to her

People who don't neatly fit into our predefined categories must not be allowed to mingle with the upstanding, "normal" folks. Our culture demands that you be one or the other, and that you conform perfectly and fully to our ancient, preconceived notions of boys and girls. And if you don't... then you're simply not welcome, anywhere, anytime.

Don't you love how good we are at embracing diversity?


:roll:







:(

[iris27]

4. I am so pissed at whoever leaked this information, because

it means that Semenya most likely heard the results IN THE F-ING NEWS. Initial stories were saying that the IAAF wasn't going to release results to the press "until after they had spoken with the family". Meaning I don't think she'd heard a word of this until it was all over the media. What a horrid way to find out. I hope she doesn't let this dissuade her from continuing to compete after all nonsense dies down.

Just one more reason we shouldn't be sex-segregating sports, IMO...sex is not always the simple binary we think it is.

[imdjh]

5. Three times the normal testosterone for a woman of her ethnicity? Or some average?

I read an article the other day that said that both black men and black women have higher testosterone levels on average than white people. It didn't say how much higher, but if there is racial variation then surely there is ethnic variation as well. Another article on the role of "sexual selection" said that there is a region in Romania where all the women have mustaches, because a couple of centuries ago the guys decided it was sexy and the ones who had it were the ones chosen for marriage, etc...

This seems like society trying to have it both ways. They say that males who have transitioned to female are still male for athletic competition purposes, and I get that. But this woman has not transitioned, she is "as God made her" and has been considered female for 18 years. To say that she's ineligible now seems like they just want to knock the fastest horse out of the race.

[Mimosa]

7. Internal testes make her a male

And she shouldn't be competing against women. When I first saw her I had no doubt she is biologically male. I can't believe people around her tried to put her into a female role. Look at her shoulders, jaw, promontory brow. No ovaries, no uterus....and internal testes. That's a man.