intersects even if you’ve heard the word you may not know what it is and that’s
you may not know what it is and that’s
you may not know what it is and that’s not surprising because intersex doesn’t
not surprising because intersex doesn’t
not surprising because intersex doesn’t mean just one thing it refers to a
mean just one thing it refers to a
mean just one thing it refers to a variety of different conditions in which
variety of different conditions in which
variety of different conditions in which a child is formed with Anatomy that
a child is formed with Anatomy that
a child is formed with Anatomy that doesn’t completely conform to what’s
doesn’t completely conform to what’s
doesn’t completely conform to what’s traditionally understood to be male or
traditionally understood to be male or
traditionally understood to be male or female by one estimate one in 1,500
female by one estimate one in 1,500
female by one estimate one in 1,500 babies is born intersex which would make
babies is born intersex which would make
babies is born intersex which would make it about as common as being born with
it about as common as being born with
it about as common as being born with red hair if that number is true then we
red hair if that number is true then we
red hair if that number is true then we certainly all know somebody who is
certainly all know somebody who is
certainly all know somebody who is intersex even if we don’t know it
intersex even if we don’t know it
intersex even if we don’t know it and while intersex isn’t exactly a
and while intersex isn’t exactly a
and while intersex isn’t exactly a household word last summer it got global
household word last summer it got global
household word last summer it got global attention at the Rio Olympics caster
attention at the Rio Olympics caster
attention at the Rio Olympics caster Semenya the lightning-fast runner from
Semenya the lightning-fast runner from
Semenya the lightning-fast runner from South Africa
South Africa
South Africa she took gold in the 800 meter but she
she took gold in the 800 meter but she
she took gold in the 800 meter but she almost didn’t make it to the starting
almost didn’t make it to the starting
almost didn’t make it to the starting blocks she was nearly banned from
blocks she was nearly banned from
blocks she was nearly banned from competing at all after allegations that
competing at all after allegations that
competing at all after allegations that she is intersex reportedly born with a
she is intersex reportedly born with a
she is intersex reportedly born with a condition that causes her body to
condition that causes her body to
condition that causes her body to produce extremely high levels of
produce extremely high levels of
produce extremely high levels of testosterone something critics and the
testosterone something critics and the
testosterone something critics and the women who have to compete against her
women who have to compete against her
women who have to compete against her say is an unfair advantage high
say is an unfair advantage high
say is an unfair advantage high testosterone is the most important
testosterone is the most important
testosterone is the most important factor that separates
factor that separates
factor that separates male and female athletes if you allow
male and female athletes if you allow
male and female athletes if you allow intersex women to compete against other
intersex women to compete against other
intersex women to compete against other women with their naturally produced high
women with their naturally produced high
women with their naturally produced high testosterone it creates a very unlevel
testosterone it creates a very unlevel
testosterone it creates a very unlevel playing field not everyone agrees that
playing field not everyone agrees that
playing field not everyone agrees that testosterone gives elite athletes the
testosterone gives elite athletes the
testosterone gives elite athletes the gold medal edge some sports scientists
gold medal edge some sports scientists
gold medal edge some sports scientists argue it’s no more of an unfair
argue it’s no more of an unfair
argue it’s no more of an unfair advantage than good nutrition or good
advantage than good nutrition or good
advantage than good nutrition or good genes
genes
genes so the tasks that policymakers have been
so the tasks that policymakers have been
so the tasks that policymakers have been given is to basically prove that
given is to basically prove that
given is to basically prove that testosterone jet-fuel that’s propelling
testosterone jet-fuel that’s propelling
testosterone jet-fuel that’s propelling them and giving them male typical
them and giving them male typical
them and giving them male typical advantage and so it’s not borne out by
advantage and so it’s not borne out by
advantage and so it’s not borne out by their times but it’s also not borne out
their times but it’s also not borne out
their times but it’s also not borne out by the science but in 2011 the governing
by the science but in 2011 the governing
by the science but in 2011 the governing body in track and field instituted a
body in track and field instituted a
body in track and field instituted a controversial new rule banning any
controversial new rule banning any
controversial new rule banning any female runner with testosterone levels
female runner with testosterone levels
female runner with testosterone levels higher than 10 nanomoles per liter
higher than 10 nanomoles per liter
higher than 10 nanomoles per liter considered by experts to be in the male
considered by experts to be in the male
considered by experts to be in the male range so say you a man or a
range so say you a man or a
range so say you a man or a one is say you can compete each match of
one is say you can compete each match of
one is say you can compete each match of eligibility to participate in certain
eligibility to participate in certain
eligibility to participate in certain competitions so it places a ceiling or a
competitions so it places a ceiling or a
competitions so it places a ceiling or a threshold limit on women’s natural
threshold limit on women’s natural
threshold limit on women’s natural testosterone and if you exceed that even
testosterone and if you exceed that even
testosterone and if you exceed that even though you’ve always competed in the
though you’ve always competed in the
though you’ve always competed in the women’s category you’re no longer
women’s category you’re no longer
women’s category you’re no longer eligible the ruling that caster Semenya
eligible the ruling that caster Semenya
eligible the ruling that caster Semenya was sidelined unless she was willing to
was sidelined unless she was willing to
was sidelined unless she was willing to artificially lower her testosterone
artificially lower her testosterone
artificially lower her testosterone levels with drugs which she presumably
levels with drugs which she presumably
levels with drugs which she presumably did and her performance suffered but the
did and her performance suffered but the
did and her performance suffered but the pressure on her demanding public answers
pressure on her demanding public answers
pressure on her demanding public answers to intimate question never led up yeah
to intimate question never led up yeah
to intimate question never led up yeah they can make the whole decision I don’t
they can make the whole decision I don’t
they can make the whole decision I don’t forget what I can do I can just help
forget what I can do I can just help
forget what I can do I can just help other outlets like me you know and some
other outlets like me you know and some
other outlets like me you know and some asked was the menu singled out not just
asked was the menu singled out not just
asked was the menu singled out not just because of her speed on the track I
because of her speed on the track I
because of her speed on the track I think what happened was really based on
think what happened was really based on
think what happened was really based on her appearance that crosses some sort of
her appearance that crosses some sort of
her appearance that crosses some sort of invisible special determine inity she
invisible special determine inity she
invisible special determine inity she didn’t fit what people would expect from
didn’t fit what people would expect from
didn’t fit what people would expect from a female athlete caster seemed destined
a female athlete caster seemed destined
a female athlete caster seemed destined to miss the real game but in 2015 the
to miss the real game but in 2015 the
to miss the real game but in 2015 the ban was lifted when a runner from India
ban was lifted when a runner from India
ban was lifted when a runner from India Duty chod also barred because of high
Duty chod also barred because of high
Duty chod also barred because of high testosterone levels sued the
testosterone levels sued the
testosterone levels sued the International track and field governing
International track and field governing
International track and field governing authority and won after sports officials
authority and won after sports officials
authority and won after sports officials failed to produce scientific data to
failed to produce scientific data to
failed to produce scientific data to back up their theory that testosterone
back up their theory that testosterone
back up their theory that testosterone gives female athletes an insurmountable
gives female athletes an insurmountable
gives female athletes an insurmountable advantage the scientific evidence wasn’t
advantage the scientific evidence wasn’t
advantage the scientific evidence wasn’t there which is underlying the rationale
there which is underlying the rationale
there which is underlying the rationale for the entire policy higher
for the entire policy higher
for the entire policy higher testosterone gives you male typical
testosterone gives you male typical
testosterone gives you male typical advantage and that wasn’t borne out with
advantage and that wasn’t borne out with
advantage and that wasn’t borne out with the van lifted semenya went on to win
the van lifted semenya went on to win
the van lifted semenya went on to win gold in Rio but in at least one way some
gold in Rio but in at least one way some
gold in Rio but in at least one way some inea’s victory was bittersweet exposing
inea’s victory was bittersweet exposing
inea’s victory was bittersweet exposing the raw emotions and deep sense of
the raw emotions and deep sense of
the raw emotions and deep sense of injustice some of her fellow runners
injustice some of her fellow runners
injustice some of her fellow runners felt this is a really sad I think in
felt this is a really sad I think in
felt this is a really sad I think in heartbreaking photograph that sticks
heartbreaking photograph that sticks
heartbreaking photograph that sticks with me
with me
with me so after tester semenya had won her race
so after tester semenya had won her race
so after tester semenya had won her race she went over to greet competitors who
she went over to greet competitors who
she went over to greet competitors who had not meddled reaching out to try to
had not meddled reaching out to try to
had not meddled reaching out to try to greet them in
greet them in
greet them in remain in the embrace what it points to
remain in the embrace what it points to
remain in the embrace what it points to really is a very sad heartbreaking
really is a very sad heartbreaking
really is a very sad heartbreaking ending about who’s really harmed by
ending about who’s really harmed by
ending about who’s really harmed by these policies and Semenya may have
these policies and Semenya may have
these policies and Semenya may have another hurdle to clear before she
another hurdle to clear before she
another hurdle to clear before she crosses the finish line the track and
crosses the finish line the track and
crosses the finish line the track and field governing authority has until July
field governing authority has until July
field governing authority has until July of 2017 to provide scientific evidence
of 2017 to provide scientific evidence
of 2017 to provide scientific evidence about the role of testosterone in
about the role of testosterone in
about the role of testosterone in athletes if they meet the deadline the
athletes if they meet the deadline the
athletes if they meet the deadline the band could be reinstated and caster
band could be reinstated and caster
band could be reinstated and caster Semenya could be stripped of her medals
Semenya could be stripped of her medals
Semenya could be stripped of her medals and sidelined forever
”
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