first someone has to convince me that the hormones of two undeveloped, shriveled testes is equal to performance enhancing drugs synthesized in a lab for no other use then to make people physically stronger. I can understand how that would have a superficial effect on secondary sexual characteristics and apperence but to say that is why she is faster then other athletes seems to be a stretch. All of those woman could probably beat the majority of the world’s men in track who’s testosterone levels would make Caster’s look like a joke.

I love this quote. It’s just downright . . . logical. With an issue like this it’s easy for someone to come out and say “This is unfair! She has every right to compete! She can’t help the way she is!” It sounds wonderful in theory, but men and women are divided in competition for good reason. Should there be a separate group for people like her? Transgender is not as easy to define as male or female. There are groups within groups. Should we have a group for people who are 7% male and 93% female? And a group for people who are 7.5% male and 92.5% female? How do you even determine that? And how far will it go?

I don’t have the answer. I wish the world was fair, I wish everyone fit into an easily definable group, but we don’t.

I didn’t want to speculate on the internet about her condition before the tests came out, but I have to say that I’m not surprised by the news that Caster is intersexed. I’ll be following this story very closely to see how it progresses, hoping for the best. (And yes, I’m outraged that the results got leaked this way, and yes, one could argue that it’s all none of our business… but the cat’s out of the bag now.) What I’m really hoping is that Caster’s country and fans don’t abandon her in this vulnerable moment; that the people who held up signs saying “Marry Me” and “Caster is Hot” don’t suddenly turn their backs. I want the people around her to be as loving and supportive as possible.

I think that she should keep the medal. If I were the runner-up in this competition, I wouldn’t accept Caster’s gold medal if she got knocked out of this. If they were really concerned, they should’ve done the testing before the sports event even began. Whether or not people with conditions like Caster’s should be allowed to complete in the women’s championship… that’s a very, very slippery slope. I was looking at photos of Caster alongside the other runners, and it looks like she could just break any of them in half. Her musculature and physique just appear so much more robust. Can those athletes compete with such a powerhouse, on a purely physical level? I don’t know the physics behind what makes someone a good runner. I’m sure there are tons of factors, that it’s not just about musculature and weight. So… I don’t know. But the pictures made me really wonder.

Hugh made a good point earlier in this thread, though: “The IAAF would have to classify everyone by hormone levels if they wanted to keep things “fair” and even then hormone levels vary widely between people and according to the time of day or anything really.”I didn’t even consider that concept before he mentioned it here. So, again, I don’t really know enough about the medical complexities here decide what really gives someone the winning advantage.

To me, the above above is the real ethical mystery here (everything else is a no-brainer: don’t leak medical records, you assholes, be sensitive and informative if you’re in the media covering this, etc… duh). My heart aches for Caster and I want her to continue doing what she loves, if this is where her heart is. But at the same time, I can’t help but imagine myself in the shoes of her fellow athletes. It seems like Caster’s unique physical condition places her in a weird gray area where she may be too fast and strong for the women’s competition, but not fast/strong enough to compete in the men’s competition on a professional level (if she even wanted to do that). Should there be a new type of championship for people with Caster’s condition? The problem is that this condition seems rare, and each case different. I don’t know where you’d come up with that team. And if she IS allowed to continue competing in the women’s championships, I wonder if her personal drive to do her best won’t be crippled by fears of being TOO good: “I’d better not run too fast, or they’ll say I’m too strong to be here again, that no one else stands a chance.”

I’ll be honest and say that I don’t know the answer here. This is tough. Is there no place for someone like Caster in the world of professional sports? Should she accept that? I’m not saying she SHOULD, but on that topic I’m reminded of a quote from Selene Luna in Issue 02: “I’m living in a world that I don’t fit in. And I’m not upset about it, it’s OK, it’s nobody’s fault. This world cannot be built for every individual. That wouldn’t be efficient, it just doesn’t make sense. That’s fine, but that’s my vulnerability.”

Thankfully, lot of people from all over the world are offering positive messages to Caster, which I think she needs to hear. The best one I’ve read comes from Dlisted. There are times when he knows just the right things to say. I’m paraphrasing a bit here, but: “tell all of them to suck on your ‘internal testes,’ Caster – you’re keeping that medal!”

That the medical test results were leaked before she even had a chance to hear about them is especially horrifying to me. By the time this storm passes over, an immense amount of damage will have been inflicted on a vulnerable, beautiful, accomplished young woman. For what? FOR FUCKING WHAT?

No one deserves to be treated this way. Absolutely despicable.

I mean this is based on the fact that she seems to identify as female and seems fine with that as opposed to male or intersex or what have you.

Setting aside the entire issue of gender identity and how offensive some of the press on this has been, HOW THE HELL IS HER MEDICAL RECORD NOT A PRIVATE MATTER?!? Absolutely unconscionable. The matter is her business, and that of anybody she chooses to tell. That the issue was handled the way it was to this point bothered me, but this new level of disclosure is infuriating. If a competitor deliberately cheats, and is found to have done so with proof beyond reasonable doubt, okay. Tell me they were doping, or using banned equipment, or what have you. But there is no way Semenya’s internal biology is any of my, or anyone else’s, business.

You’ll pardon me. I’m going to go play side two of Zen Arcade until I settle down a little.