Horrified by what the International Association of Athletics Federation has put Caster Semenya through? The National Sexuality Resource Center has a petition demanding that the IAAF stay out of Caster's pants.
Stand with Caster , and with everyone who’s borne the brunt of fear and discrimination because they don't fit a rigid definition of what is male and female. You can add your name here .
Here's the petition:
To: The International Association of Athletics Federation
We, the undersigned, demand that the IAAF stay out of Caster Semenya's pants.
Your efforts to make champion Caster Semenya 'prove' she is a woman are shameful and unnecessary, and undermine the integrity and dignity of women athletes. Requiring select athletes--based purely on looks--to undergo 'scientific' testing that others do not is unfair and humiliating.
Gender is not a science, and biology does not make--or unmake--a woman. Oppression based on looks, however, is real, and forces women athletes to adhere to a sexist standard that does not foster true competition or personal excellence. We applaud Caster Semenya's skill as an athlete, and the way she creates more space for women--of all shapes, sizes and looks--to succeed.
We demand that you stop selective gender testing now, and put in place new policies that support all athletes, regardless of gender expression or identity.
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I'm honestly a little confused about the intent of this petition.
Do you think athletes should never be tested to confirm that they are competing in the proper category? If a person with XY chromosomes and a penis identifies as a woman, should she be able to compete in women's athletic events, no questions asked? Or are you advocating for there to be no separation of sex nor gender in athletic events? Or are you saying that either all athletes should be tested or none at all?
Also, it's pretty clear to me that Semenya is not being tested just "based on looks" -- the unusual improvement in her performance has been cited as a possible sign that she might not be a "standard" biological woman (XX chromosomes plus female reproductive organs and female hormone levels). There seem to be several reasons to suspect that she might have a genetic condition which would preclude her from participating in women's athletic events, so I don't think it's inappropriate to investigate. What's inappropriate is that the investigation was publicized and Semenya's privacy not respected. And since my understanding is that the association only conducts tests when another competitor lodges a complaint (they can't initiate them on their own), then perhaps it is also unfair that other competitors were able to anonymously single out Semenya, while other women have not been targeted in this way.
Obviously this case raises a lot of interesting questions -- should we have sex / gender segregation in athletics at all? Since there is sometimes ambiguity in biological sex and a lot of folks who don't fit clearly into a sexual binary, how can those folks be included in athletic competition in a way that is fair for them and other athletes? If we do agree that women should have the right to compete with each other in a category free from biological males, how do we define "women"? But I don't think the text of your petition really addresses any of those issues in a helpful way.
Seconded.
My only complaint is the presence of the psychologist in the testing process. For athletics it is sex that matters not gender.
Not purely on looks:
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/semenyas-testosterone-levels-three-times-average-20090826-eygn.html
Caster Semenya, the 18-year-old who won gold in the 800 metres at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin, was tested in South Africa before heading to Germany, Britain's Daily Telegraph reported.
The results, leaked just hours before her medal-winning run, indicated Semenya had three times the normal female testosterone levels.
Semenya is cheered home
High hormone levels do not always translate to a failed drugs test. Testosterone levels can vary widely.
The results contributed to the International Association of Athletics Federations' request for detailed "gender verification" tests on the star teenager.