Like the phrase "beer me" only not...

4.02.2010

Semenya and the "Gender Test"

Anyone remember Caster Semenya? The female runner who won the women's 800 at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, and since her times were so fast, and she is quite muscular she was ordered by the IAAF to take a "gender test". I don't want to get into a debate on why men shouldn't compete with women. But just a couple things I thought were interesting.
1). The idea of taking a "gender test". I can't imagine that it tests gender, but more accurately stated it probably tests chromosomes to find out if there are male or female chromosomes present, or both. Lets not get it confused. Lets not name things that make sex and gender interchangeable. Sex is biological and gender is social!

2). That it was Semenya's speed and body type that made the IAAF suspicious of her "gender". Which is to say, that because Semenya was so fast, and she has a lot of muscle on her body than she must be a man. Meaning: fast = man and muscular = man and ultimately winning = man.
And then what does this say about women who are muscular? They should question and everyone else should question their "gender"? Athletes always have to play around or play against ideals of gender and their talent as athletes. Semenya is a talented runner, but in running, it challenges notions of femininity. As with women playing any sport. Aggressiveness, speed, competitiveness, strength are all traits of masculinity. Which many scientist will say that men need these traits because they need to compete with other men to find a mate. But that was back in the day when we needed to populate and we didn't use language to communicate our desires and feelings.

Anyways. What this all boils down to is that gender is much more complex then society lets it be. Instead of calling it a "gender test", do we call it a sex test? But some people might say, just get a Dr. to do a simple physical check. But that doesn't dictate the actual chromosomes. A biologically sexed female may still have male DNA. Or the person could be intersexed and then what is the verdict? No running at all? Can't run in women's races or men's or can run in either one?
Yes gender is a complex issue, and that needs to be at the forefront...the simple knowledge that gender is much more intricate than male or female...that is the lesson that needs to be heard.