Comments on: Caster Semenya Case Opening Old Wounds

By: max

max — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 18:22:37 +0000

In 1950 The Dutch girl Foekje Dillema was expelled from competition because of an Y-chromosome. Read hert story on http://www.foekjedillema.com.

By: ginasf

ginasf — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:14:16 +0000

@Monica: “I found it interesting that both Tamara, the double gold medallist in the shotput from the 1960 and 1964 Games and Irina who won gold in 1960 and 1964 and set 26 world records during the 1960s both suddenly retired from international competition once gender testing was mandated in 1966.”

Not a statement of understanding nor compassion. It’s a statement of skepticism, sneering and assumptions. Whatever. I don’t disagree with your point about pernicious imagery of African descended women and I agree there is a sizable part of the Semenya story which is related to this.

Far more important is this aspect of the story: http://medindia.net/news/Gender-Row-Runner-Semenya-Placed-On-Suicide-Watch-58003-1.htm

Yup, an 18-year old woman now feels like killing herself because the international media & pundits need to use her life as an example for its own gender policing. Bravo. Way to objectify someone and make her feel worthless. Way to throw away the life of anyone who doesn’t fit the desired mold.

By: preying mantis

preying mantis — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:33:14 +0000

“A finnish athlete who was mother of two children was gender tested, and she certainly was white.”

I’m interested just due to curiosity about what could possess a committee to order a gender test on someone who’d given birth to two children. It seems like the height of fractiousness to accuse someone with a female gender identity and a fully-functional female reproductive system of not really being female.

By: Monica Roberts

Monica Roberts — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:13:39 +0000

@Oscar…what’s that Finnish athlete’s name? Was her test results leaked to the press?

Gina
You assmume I’m diminishing what the Press sisters went through. I’m not doing anything of the sort. I just stated a fact that the images of African descended women have been under assault for 400 years.

By: ginasf

ginasf — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:36:56 +0000

@Monica: Did you read what was written about Gronert? You’re speaking in a socio, historical political way… I’m talking about what the woman actually went through. Sarah Gronert was suicidal when she was 19 because of all the backlash and ridicule she got about her playing and womanhood. It took 3 years and surgery for her to be allowed on the tennis circuit. Anyone who was old enough to read in the 60s heard worldwide demeaning jokes, news stories and remarks about the Press sisters. And heard them for decades afterwards (and you just perpetuated them in this thread!). The Press sisters were Jewish in the Soviet Union… do you have any perspective about what that was like?

You can make your points about racism without diminishing what they went through. I agree with the main point of what you’re saying, but I feel you’re trying to remold what’s actually happening here and attempting to leave other big parts of history out to fit your theory. Yes, that Ms. Semenya is African is a big part of this story, but so is that she’s what’s socially deemed “noticeably gender variant” (in many different cultures, including in those South Africa, where I understand she was continually taunted growing up). And I’m curious why you didn’t mention my remarks about Pumping Iron 2… which directly addressed issues of gender variance in women’s athletics?

By: Monica Roberts

Monica Roberts — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:33:28 +0000

While I agree what Ms. Semenya is going through is incredibly objectifying, degrading and humiliating, I do have issues saying it’s purely about race. What Gronert and the Press sisters went through was just as bad.

Gina, I disagree. Sarah Gronert and the Press Sisters aren’t part of an ethnic group whose femininity has constantly been under attack for centuries

By: Oscar

Oscar — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 03:14:16 +0000

Well. A finnish athlete who was mother of two children was gender tested, and she certainly was white.

By: Alas, a blog » Blog Archive » Open Thread - Möbius Bach Edition

Alas, a blog » Blog Archive » Open Thread - Möbius Bach Edition — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 01:49:52 +0000

[...] For Africans and African diasapora, Caster Semenya Case Opening Old Wounds. [...]

By: Jones

Jones — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 18:42:13 +0000

xani – do you think men should be allowed to compete in women-only sports? If not, do you think that anyone who claims to be a woman should be allowed to compete in women-only sports? Once you decide to exclude potential competitors – and women-only athletics by definition excludes male competitors – you have decide how that exclusion will be enforced. This is serious and difficult question, and you don’t move the conversation forward by accusing the people who are trying to deal with it of bad faith.

By: Phyrbyrd

Phyrbyrd — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 14:30:10 +0000

I’d like to discuss this issue on my new blog – could I link to you please?