Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire The South African Runner is a HERMAPHRODITE

Is it fair for it to run against women?



Runner is a 'hermaphrodite'



THE controversy over gender row champion runner Caster Semenya deepened today � after reports claimed sex swap tests have shown she is a HERMAPHRODITE.

South African gold-medallist Semenya, 18, has both male and female organs, it was claimed.

And sources close to the International Association of Athletics Federations � who ordered extensive tests on the teen after her amazing 800m win at the World Athletics Championships last month � say the results mean she could still be stripped of her medal.

Testosterone

Semenya is claimed to have NO womb or ovaries � and has internal testes, the male sexual organs which produce testosterone.

The row over Semenya's biology has caused huge divisions � with South African politicians calling slurs she is a man "racist and sexist." Her birth certificate has the teen listed as female and urine tests showed that, despite her having higher than average male hormone levels, they are within the official limits for a woman.

But an IAAF source was today quoted as saying: "There certainly is evidence now that Semenya is a hermaphrodite.

"But the trouble is the IAAF now have the whole ANC and the whole of South Africa on their backs.

"Everything is going to have to be done absolutely by the book, no question of a challenge to our findings.

"There's all sorts of scans you do. This is why it's complicated.

"In the past you used to do a gynaecological exam, blood test, chromosome test, whatever.

"That's why the findings were challenged, because it's not quite so simple.

"So what they do now is they do everything, and then they can say look, not only has she got this, she's got that and the other.

"The problem for us is to avoid it being an issue now which is very personal: of the organs being a hermaphrodite, of not being a 'real' woman.

"It's very dramatic."

IAAF spokesman Nick Davies was not immediately available to comment on the story.

The organisation confirmed this morning that it had received the test results back and was processing the data.

Semenya was ordered to take tests straight after her 800 metres gold at the World Championships in Berlin.

The athlete received a heroine's welcome when she arrived back home in South Africa following the backlash.

And Semenya's family have slammed the claims, saying: "It is God who made her look that way but she IS a girl."

The runner was last week given a make-over by YOU magazine � and called the row over her gender "a joke" as she posed in make-up and a dress.

South Africa's athletics chiefs this evening said they stood by her amid the claims.

Athletics South Africa president Leonard Chuene said the organisation would advise the teenager to ignore all media speculation until she had been officially informed of the results of the tests.

He said: "We are ignoring these claims. We cannot comment on them as we know nothing about them.

"We will wait for the due process to be followed. The authorities have made a statement to say we will be informed about the results and we await that development.

"We cannot get involved in gossip of this sort. Our people will speak to Caster this evening and ensure that she puts these rumours from her mind.

"She is at university at the moment. She must concentrate on her studies.

"We stand fully behind her as our athlete."

Semenya's family also angrily disputed the claims.

The athlete's uncle Lesiba Rammabi, 51, said her relatives were 'very humiliated' by the reports.

He said: "I believe Caster is normal, inside and out.

"What does it matter whether she can have babies or not? Many people cannot have children, why else do parents adopt? Are those women not women also?

"We are a normal family who looked at a child when she was born, saw that she was a girl and raised her as any other family would do. Are we now being told that we are wrong?

"We are very humiliated by what has been said and do not understand how it can be true.

"This is a woman who was raised a female. She will always be female, no matter what people say."

May God have mercy on her.

She was just born that way.

Tough row to hoe.

BMT

Hopefully there won't be a 'sex tape' coming out soon

How apropos is that racing tag (s)he is wearing:
Semen?
Ya!

Who isnt a hermafradite these days?

Dude looks like a lady!


Hemi

they left out the IN after n and before y.

If this is a natural state of affairs, and not a sex change thing like the East Germans tried a few times, I feel very sorry for the person, what ever their gender is.

Yeah, you can't help but feel sorry for her.

IMO, if she has girl parts on the outside and that's standard equipment; I really don't care what she has on the inside...she's female.

To officially label her as anything other than female is a bit cruel. Isn't it bad enough what she's had to deal with probably her whole life?

If it has nuts its a boy, which it does. Ofcourse it chooses to race women even though it has nuts. Make sense like Taxing the rich for the poor. Easy way out.

wow, is that a protected species, like gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender folks?

I have to respectfully disagree with you, Kevin -- at least on the criterion for gender.

I certainly agree with you and feel sorry for him, but it is the chromosomes that I would have to take as the final definition of gender. This person is chromosomally male (i.e. normal XY, according to reports so far), and thus has predominantly male hormones which is what confers many advantages in athletic contests.

Until we decide to allow all people to take part in a single athletic competition and not in two separate male and female competitions, it is just unfair to the females (with normal female chromosomes and hormones) to have to compete with a genetic male and his hormones (albeit a male without external male genitalia).

I have no doubt that she thinks of herself as a female and she should have every right to live as one, but other females should not have to compete against him in athletics.

John

Well, you know, a lot of dudes back in my Dad's day always said that men were the best at everything. They made the best cooks even. Looks like now men are even the best women when it comes to running...

Bada-bing!

I very much share jpb's thoughts on this, and specifically note where and why the gender specific pronouns were used.

Scott

She won't be allowed to race with the ladies anymore. I do feel sorry for him/her, biologically speaking, you are basically dealing with a person who has the advantages of male physiology competeing with women.

I feel sure they are not going to allow her to compete against females and I do agree with that decision.

JM.

Time for a whole new section of runners.
Poor thing is stone cold fugly

I agree that it is sad for her, however, I also agree that she should not be able to compete in womens events anymore.

She ran what, a 1:55 in the 800??
That would not even win her a state high school meet if she was competing as a man.
Strange state of affairs, all the same.

Reminds me of the genetically improved chicken... three legs. When ask "How does it taste?" reply was, "Don't know. Haven't been able to catch one yet."

You'd be surprised by how many people are born with both men's and women's "fun parts." Doctors usually turn them into girls because its easier to make a hole than a pole.

I have a grand nephew who was born with malformed genitals. They had to do look at his chromosomes to make a gender determination and they did reconstructive surgery to correct him. He's a normal well adjusted boy, now.

The problem it's very hard to tell sometimes and things can really change at puberty (what was thought to be a clitoris enlarging into a penis, etc). I'm sure she thought she was a girl/woman. Hope she has peace of mind.