That South African He/She runner

[broberfett]

Supposedly the runner is a hermaphrodite. There are no ovaries though and, according to the article, "no womb." Here is the story.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2631482/Runner-is-a-hermaphrodite.html

 

[Robert Maxwell]

This is what seals it for me:

Her birth certificate has the teen listed as female and urine tests showed that, despite her having higher than average male hormone levels, they are within the official limits for a woman.

She lives as a woman, has grown up as a woman, and her hormone levels are within official limits for a woman. There should be no "controversy" here. Legally speaking, she is female.

 

[broberfett]

How can she be biologically female without being born with ovaries? She can live anyway she wants, but how will that affect female athletics? That dude was a mile ahead.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Frankly, I find the very notion offensive that someone who identifies as a woman could be disqualified from athletic competition due to a lack of particular anatomy.

She has legally been a woman all her life, and identifies as such. It is legally unquestionable what gender she is. So, I guess if the authorities involved want to base on very strict definitions of what constitutes a "male" or "female," whatever. I just don't have much respect for that.

It also comes off as very sexist. "She couldn't possibly have won on her own merits--she must be a man, and now we'll prove it!"

 

[broberfett]

So if a guy named Jim changed his name to April when he was a kid and started dressing female, but was in everyway a man, you would still allow him to compete as a female?

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Um, no, that doesn't make you a female.

You're also conflating M2F transgenderism with hermaphroditism. They are not the same thing.

 

[The Grim Ghost]

Didn't they find that she has much higher levels of testoserone than a 'normal' woman due to having testes? Doesn't that give her an unfair advantage over others?

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Are we going to start keeping a list of natural (that is, inborn) traits that make competition "unfair"? Too tall, you can't compete. Fast metabolism, you can't compete. Born intersexed, you can't compete.

 

[Deckerd]

Didn't they find that she has much higher levels of testoserone than a 'normal' woman due to having testes? Doesn't that give her an unfair advantage over others?

It says 'higher than average'. If you read it. Lots of women have higher than average.

 

[broberfett]

Um, no, that doesn't make you a female.

You're also conflating M2F transgenderism with hermaphroditism. They are not the same thing.

I just wanted to know if you considered the person's lifestyle choice to be the deciding factor or biology.

 

[JustKate]

It says 'higher than average'. If you read it. Lots of women have higher than average.

Particularly (though not exclusively) athletes, if I am remembering correctly. In any case, an average is just that - an average.

 

[Deckerd]

Um, no, that doesn't make you a female.

You're also conflating M2F transgenderism with hermaphroditism. They are not the same thing.

I just wanted to know if you considered the person's lifestyle choice to be the deciding factor or biology.

If everyone including your mother thinks you're a girl and your genitalia look female, how can that be a lifestyle choice?

 

[Scout101]

It says 'higher than average'. If you read it. Lots of women have higher than average.

About half, I'd wager. Being that the definition of "average" means midpoint, and thus half have to be above that average and all

 

[melancholymecha]

this reminds me of that "guy" who got pregnant a couple years ago. I didnt really understand what the big fuss was about b/c technically he was always a woman, so it wasnt like suddenly "whoa, a guy got pregnent!" Gender identity wise-yeah he identifies as a guy, but biologically he was female so why was it such a surprise he could get pregnant?

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Um, no, that doesn't make you a female.

You're also conflating M2F transgenderism with hermaphroditism. They are not the same thing.

I just wanted to know if you considered the person's lifestyle choice to be the deciding factor or biology.

That you consider it a "lifestyle choice" indicates you aren't very well-educated on this subject.

 

[broberfett]

I disagree with you that this very masculine hermaphrodite should be able to compete as a woman. I don't care about your level of education on the subject or your special interest in it.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Yes, unfortunately, discrimination against transgendered and intersexed people is still largely tolerated.

 

[JustKate]

It's not her fault, right? She didn't cause this, right? Who's she supposed to compete against?

If she's within the normal levels, whatever those might be, I just don't see the problem. If she's not, then they need to reevaluate, but "masculine looking" isn't a proper criterion.

The poor girl's only, like, 18. And she hasn't done anything wrong, at least not on purpose.

 

[KiraDax]

Nobody had a problem letting this girl compete until she actually won.

The way this has been handled all along is utter, insulting bullshit.

Any intelligent judge could have noticed her appearance long before the competition and asked for testing then, privately, not waited until after the fact and let mud be slung in public.

Should she be competing in women's competitions? I don't know. I'm not an expert on hormone levels and how they affect a sport. Apparently, though, experts have said that she was within 'honest' parameters.

Either way, she deserves the win in my eyes...just for the bull she's tolerated for something she's had no control over or knowledge of.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

I disagree with you that this very masculine hermaphrodite should be able to compete as a woman. I don't care about your level of education on the subject or your special interest in it.

If her testosterone levels are within the legal limits for a female athlete, then that's all there should be to it and she should be allowed to retain her medals and compete as a woman. She was raised as a woman because there was no external indication otherwise, and for you to call it a lifestyle choice is unbelievably ignorant and offensive.

I can understand the other competing athletes making an issue out of it, but somehow I doubt most of the people in the public who are up at arms about this are concerned for the integrity of the sport, and are more opposed because they have some immature view of it being icky. Your little digs at her expense seem to be along those lines.