Debate discussion

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/...

Anyone else hear about this?

this is weird. i don't know what to think of this.

Oh yeah, I heard about this.

Ditto, Liz.

I think it's silly the labels and binary restrictions we put on sex and gender.

I heard about this a long while ago when the controversy started. My thoughts on it are simple. People suck ass :)

Its not femininity per se. I mean men can be overly feminine. Femininity is a socially overloaded term with all sorts of associated connotations. This is a biological condition which is rare and for which athletics has no allowance for at this stage. I suppose its rarity is mirrored in the chaos and controversy that this case has caused. The fact is though that Semenya may have physical advantages over fellow athletes and this is unfair. Its just a terrible shame that Semenya's name has been dragged through the mud over this, considering it is such a sensitive topic. I wouldn't begin to offer a solution. Ideally, this kind of situation should have been foreseen a long time ago. Hermaphroditic conditions are well-documented after all.

Well you are correct when you say that James perhaps.

That's an exaggeration to say that they are going to start WWIII over it. They were just using a figure of speech. However, I simply think the issue is odd.

I have heard about this also, being a runner, and I think it is extremely sad. She worked very hard for that, and technically she has hormones within the range of a woman. But is it fair to other runners to compete with something like the hormones she has to help build muscle and overall make her faster? How are other women runners supposed to beat ehr records?

I don't even know what to say. She should keep her medals but her records shouldn't stand?

Also what is she supposed to do when she wants to compete again? Runners never stop running until they physically can't. Is it fair to make her compete against males? Or females? Or never compete again?

It's not like she knew she was like this. How could this slip under the radar? You'd think doctor's would catch this earlier. Don't all olympic athletes get screened and get physicals etc. before competing? If not, that should be put in place.

I think the entire matter odd. Is ones gender really determined by anything more cursory than a physical exam at birth? Do obstetricians now run genetic tests as well as gynocological exams to verify that indeed a child has all of the appropriate organs? As far as I am aware standard medical practice is still visual examination and declaration not intensive testing.

She has an advantage resulting from a genetic anomally. This advantage will not be passed on the future generations as she cannot reproduce. However, certain standards are adhered to within the sporting community in relation to the amounts of certain hormones present within an athlete. Exceeding those parameters is considered doping and disqualifies the athlete. This is the standard they should adhere to I think in this instance. If she passes the tests then her lack of female genitalia should be irrelevant.