Runner is a 'hermaphrodite'

Runner is a 'hermaphrodite'

www.thesun.co.uk

THE controversy over gender row champion runner Caster Semenya deepened today — after reports claimed sex swap tests have shown she is a HERMAPHRODITE.
South African gold-medallist Semenya, 18, has both male and female organs, it was claimed.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Semenya is claimed to have NO womb or ovaries — and has internal testes, the male sexual organs which produce testosterone.

Holy crap! This potentially opens up a whole new can of worms, and not just in the athletic world. When this began, I just figured they'd find a sex-change operation had taken place and essentially wrote it off as a blah story from a sport I care nothing about. But this now becomes a really interesting, and actually very sad story. You've got a person who is externally female and has lived their whole life believing they were female, now finding out they're an internal hermaphrodite... I'm not sure how this should be handled athletically speaking, either. There doesn't seem to be an intentional deception occuring, so "punishment" via banning and stripping of records seems pretty damn cruel. On the other hand, is it fair to the other runners to allow this to stand as is?

www.thesun.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

If she identifies as a woman, and has all her life, she is a woman, and should be allowed to use a woman's restroom and run a woman's race, or any race she chooses.

It isn't her fault and she did nothing to decieve, as you said.

It would be a travesty if she wasn't apologized to, and given back what she has already earned.

After that it's up to her to decide what to do with her life now that she knows she was born differently.

So she is basically producing testosterone which makes her more male then female. He just has a micro penis with his testicles located in a different place. It's a he and not a she.

I'm sure this person knew she/he was a hermaphrodite. It's actually more common than you may think. The distinction between male and female isn't always as clear cut as some of us may want it to be (both mentally and physically).

According to the ISNA definition above, 1 percent of live births exhibit some degree of sexual ambiguity.

Wiki on intersexuality

Nope. We're gonna need some new restroom facilities and new classes in professional and Olympic sports. Men, Women, and Other. (or is it BOTH?)

Well, I don't want to seem insensitive....we might need a few more types of facilities as well, if we're going to embrace diversity...

Post and PRE surgery Trans, etc...

Very interesting though. If she/he is not allowed to compete, seems like discrimination to me...but not really fair to put her/him in competition with men, or women...she/he would have an unfair advantage/disadvantage.

This is going to get difficult to discuss. Gonna be a lot of extra words.

Maybe you all are not paying attention to sports news as much as you should be.

There is a "person" playing on the professional womens tennis tour that was born with the same sexual orientation but has lived as a female all her life.

Her name is Sarah Gronert.

She is from Germany.

Sarah Gronert Controversy

This is sad! I am sure it was a life shattering discovery for this poor girl! The OP states she has no "womb" but it doesn't say anything about Vagina. She may very well have the parts that make you look female!! I remember Howard Stern checking out China on his show, and he claimed he found a Penis on her!!

There is an unfair advantage when she competes against other females, so they will have to regulate her somehow? Also, she won't have the true amount of testosterone that a male has, so she can't compete against them?

I think all hormones and performance enhancing drugs should be allowed!! That would fix the issue! We encourage people to be all they can be, but then we limit their tools? There are reports that doctors are no prescribing ADD drugs for mental enhancement rather than just treatment! If we can be bigger, stronger, faster, smarter, more agile, and better trained through technology, then why not?

Originally posted by cloakndagger
So she is basically producing testosterone which makes her more male then female. He just has a micro penis with his testicles located in a different place.

All women produce varying amounts of testosterone. SHE has always identified as a female and IS a female.

She did nothing to deceive anyone and should be allowed to keep whatever she's won. I can't imagine how humiliating this has been for her. Something that personal should never be in the news.

From the story,

urine tests showed that, despite her having higher than average male hormone levels, they are within the official limits for a woman.

It's a he and not a she.

SHE is a person not an "it". Disgusting, fearful attitude.

[edit on 10/9/2009 by Iamonlyhuman]

According to UK media (which in turn is citing Australian media as source, which in turn is citing an 'official leak') the athlete has at least 3 times as much testosterone as the top athletes against whom she was competing.

The media claims that the athlete in question has internal testes which are responsible for producing the large amounts of male hormone

Questions are also being asked about the massive increase in testosterone measured in the athlete during the month surrounding the competitions

The athlete is said to have no womb and to never have experienced menstruation. It's clear the athlete has no breast development either

It appears the athlete is more male than female, judging by the above.

Further, the athlete's father has stated to the media that the althlete never had an interest in dolls or other typically 'girlish' things .. and refused to wear dresses, lifelong. In fact, according to the father, the althlete insisted on wearing boy's uniform to school from the outset, which in itself reveals that the althlete did not regard him/her self as a 'girl' and indicates the school was in agreement, all of this taking place long before the current controversy.

Anyone who is kicking out a minimum of 3 times male hormone compared to other world-class female athletes cannot be considered 'normal female'.

If I identify myself as a female, does that permit me to partake in female sports and use my superior strength and stamina as a male?

reply to post by burdman30ott6


Where was the uproar when she was losing?

She trains, sacrifices and works to do better and when she does the rug is pulled from under her feet.

She worked for it, she won. Case closed.

Maybe it is time we stopped with the gender stuff and let everyone compete according to weight and size like in boxing.

But I am sure someone will still cry foul if they lose.

reply to post by SpiritoftheNightSky



She has biological advantage = 3 x testosterone

If the athlete in question is sufficiently interested in the sports in which he/she won --- then let him/her compete with other men (who also have tons more testosterone than world-class female athletes)

No one is suggesting the athlete in question should quit the sport -- only that the athlete in question be required to compete with men, rather than women

Everyone needs to remember that this is from the SUN.

Let's not jump to conclusions based on a Sun article.


Wait till it's official.

Can anyone find a source that isn't from that rag of a paper?

Originally posted by Yossarian
Can anyone find a source that isn't from that rag of a paper?

Here's the link to the article in the United Kingdom's Mail Online, which in turn cites an Australian newspaper as source

www.dailymail.co.uk...

And here's the link to Australia's Sydney Telegraph, which states the athlete does not have ovaries or a womb, but does have male testes

www.dailytelegraph.com.au...

And there's this excerpt, which confirms what I posted earlier regarding the athlete's own father admitting that the athlete insisted on wearing the standard boy's school uniform from the outset and refused to wear skirts or dresses:

While the IAAF are treating the Semenya case as a health matter, with her eligibility to compete in women's athletics very much a secondary issue, the same South African politicians who denied AIDS was a problem in their country are now blindly standing behind their new queen of the track.

"Well of course Caster is a totally innocent victim in this whole affair,'' the source explained. "What could she do about it? And the IAAF accepted her entry. So the two parties at fault are the IAAF and especially Athletics SA. The South Africans have got a massive responsibility, but no one seems to be attacking them.

"Basically they (ASA) have known for months, for years, that she's not normal. They could have set in process these kind of tests if they had been more responsible.''

www.dailytelegraph.com.au...

reply to post by St Vaast

Further, the athlete's father has stated to the media that the althlete never had an interest in dolls or other typically 'girlish' things .. and refused to wear dresses, lifelong. In fact, according to the father, the althlete insisted on wearing boy's uniform to school from the outset, which in itself reveals that the althlete did not regard him/her self as a 'girl' and indicates the school was in agreement, all of this taking place long before the current controversy.

And this proves what?

I grew up in a small community were I was the oldest girl so guess who got stuck babysitting all the time, and no, I didn't get paid for it. It was my neighborly duty and as a child I had very little say so.

I grew up hating dolls and everything girlie including dresses. I didn't wear dresses for years after I left home and was on my own and yet I am as much female as any other female you choose to compare me to and I love men and always have.

In fact it is an awful thing to say but I prefer male company to female company and have very few female friends.

It is not that I dislike woman after all I am one. It is just that I find that woman are like lionesses. The like to hang in a pride but they are constantly challenging each other for the Alpha position.

I was thrown into the Alpha position from childhood. I did my time and am more then happy to turn over the reins, but woman are very suspicious and territorial they still like to test you.

I am not up for that either.

This athelete should not be condemed for something that is not her fault. If they want to start having people compete based on amounts of preselected elements found when they urinate in a cup then fine.

Just makes the rules before you begin the game.

Some might say that she has the best of both worlds.