Caster Semenya
Why is it that whenever South Africa or a South African is in the news for something good – it has to be qualified with a “but….” or “however” or “nevertheless”. Caster Semenya is my case in point.
According to official records, Caster ran the 5th fastest 800m time in history! In history! BUT, tests are going to be conducted on whether she is actually a he. Apparently, ever since Caster arrived in Berlin – people have been commenting on her masculine body and features. The International Association of Athletics Federation asked Athletics South Africa to carry out “gender verification” tests on her, partly because of such rumours and partly because she had such a bomb of a season.
Get this: they’ve already begun with testing procedures but because of the “complexity” of the process, the results may take some time. HUH?! You would think they would just follow her to the bathroom to see if she stands or sits, right? Wrong! Caster would have to be examined by gynecologists, endocrinologists, psychologists, and internal medicine specialists. Pretty humiliating stuff if you ask me!
Can you imagine what Caster Semenya must be going through? Living your whole life as a woman and now being told that people actually think you’re a man! Eish!
At Random 
I completely agree; I think this must be really difficult to go through; to have part of what you’ve formed you sense of identity on dissected to such a public degree.
I think it’s a load of rubbish. I hope that Caster has pretty think skin and can handle this fiasco and walk out with her head held high.
I know I’d be crashed.
nevertheless, she made us mighty proud.
I think she is confused about her gender and this is due to the parents. Nature never lie and in this case we have to trust it. She looks like a man, talks like a man, acts like a man, so she must be a man. I cannot believe that they would want a medal that badly or is it the money that comes with it. Sad.
Evon nature always lies. Try to be more open-minded.
The issue discussed here (correct me if I’m wrong Prisha) is not whether she’s a man or a woman, it’s that it’s (potentially) degrading to have to be subjected to.
And I’m not sure that Semenya’s parents raised her as a girl for eighteen years just in case there was a chance she won a medal and some money. It’s not likely.
check out this petition! http://nsrc.sfsu.edu/xx_why_tell_IAAF_to_stay_out_of_Caster_Semenyas_pants
Looking at the entire situation, one can only feel sympathy for Semenya. I agree, Tessa its very degrading – to have people question your gender and thereby question your very identity. Judging her by her appearance is completely wrong. I think the entire matter was handled rather badly, by the IAF, ASA, ANC – the whole lot of them!
It’s true she looks very masculine that’s all the more reason why they should have run a proper test on her before she competed in the woman’s race. It’s so wrong that they are doing this to her now. Why did they wait until she won the race to test her? In 2002 she ran a race and came last or 2nd to last why they hadn’t had her check then?
In one of her interviews though she looks very female to me, especially when she smiled. I think she’s just the tom-boyish type. Many girls purposely behave that way because they know that they don’t fit in otherwise. It’s an escape for them.
This issue is really not just about Caster or Africans. Many don’t realize that controversies have happened before, hence the testing. The most publicized event is the one during the time of Hitler. Where Olympic High Jumper, Gretel Bergmann went thru an ordeal and was robbed of Olympic opportunities while Dora (Whose real name was Horst) Ratjen, a team mate replaced Gretel (Now Margaret Bergmann-Lambert) during a time when Germany could not have a Jewish woman win metal during Nazi times. It was later found that Dora was a man. Caster’s situation is simply brought to light due to previous Olympic gender conditions.
To read more info check out these sites:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8241631.stm
http://www.blog.inspiretech.com/entertainment/10-gender-shockers-in-olympic-competition/
http://www.nytimes.com/specials/olympics/0721/oly-berkow-column.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Bergmann_Lambert
THEY ARE ACUSSING HER OF BEING A HERMAPHRODITE WHICH IS NO ONES FALT ITS A RARE MEDICAL CONDITION. LEAVE THE GIRL ALONE ALL SHE WANTED TO DO WAS RUN. WHO TOLD YOU TO THINK YOUR BRAIN IS ON FIRE THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH CONFUSION OR PARENTS RASING HER WRONG GET A LIFE FOOL.
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