(no subject)
http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/10051660/Report:-Semenya-has-male,-female-sex-organs?GT1=39002
Just read this article online. I'm wondering why exactly they decided to do any kind of test to determine sex in the first place. In a way, I can see how the results of whatever tests they did could have a bearing on the sport (since if she ends up being male, it wouldn't be "fair" that she was running with women - she would be running with men if she were male). It's a touchy subject, though. I mean, if someone isn't specifically one sex, how is it determined whether she runs with one sex or the other? I've never thought about that before today. Of course, it's no big deal to me, in the course of things, whether she ends up being one sex or the other, or a mixture. (In other words, sex really doesn't mean much at all. It's not like being both at once would be a bad thing, although, of course, it seems to me like some people think it is.) Some of the comments below the article seemed inappropriate and/or really uninformed. Someone actually left a comment saying, "Does she/he have a slit or a stick?" First, it's really not necessary for someone to phrase it that way. (I'm not saying I'm never crude or vulgar or both if I'm on a roll - my mind's usually in the gutter, I'll admit, but I wouldn't say something like that on a public newspaper article. There's a time and a place! & I wouldn't have said what that person said anyway.) If sex determination was as easy as finding out whether the person had a "slit or a stick" there obviously wouldn't have been tests done. Sex, while usually something most people think of as a black-and-white thing, male or female, really isn't that simple in all cases. (Quite obviously when you see stories like this.) I just hope that this entire thing isn't too difficult for her. I can only imagine how immature ignorant people and their disgusting closed-mindedness might hurt. It would probably bother me immensely if I were in her situation. Even though I'd try to say it didn't. And of course, I'm not in that situation and never will be (at least not that situation exactly) so I guess what I think I would do in that situation isn't really that relevant.
Anyway. I have to go pick up some dinner. Be back later.
Just read this article online. I'm wondering why exactly they decided to do any kind of test to determine sex in the first place. In a way, I can see how the results of whatever tests they did could have a bearing on the sport (since if she ends up being male, it wouldn't be "fair" that she was running with women - she would be running with men if she were male). It's a touchy subject, though. I mean, if someone isn't specifically one sex, how is it determined whether she runs with one sex or the other? I've never thought about that before today. Of course, it's no big deal to me, in the course of things, whether she ends up being one sex or the other, or a mixture. (In other words, sex really doesn't mean much at all. It's not like being both at once would be a bad thing, although, of course, it seems to me like some people think it is.) Some of the comments below the article seemed inappropriate and/or really uninformed. Someone actually left a comment saying, "Does she/he have a slit or a stick?" First, it's really not necessary for someone to phrase it that way. (I'm not saying I'm never crude or vulgar or both if I'm on a roll - my mind's usually in the gutter, I'll admit, but I wouldn't say something like that on a public newspaper article. There's a time and a place! & I wouldn't have said what that person said anyway.) If sex determination was as easy as finding out whether the person had a "slit or a stick" there obviously wouldn't have been tests done. Sex, while usually something most people think of as a black-and-white thing, male or female, really isn't that simple in all cases. (Quite obviously when you see stories like this.) I just hope that this entire thing isn't too difficult for her. I can only imagine how immature ignorant people and their disgusting closed-mindedness might hurt. It would probably bother me immensely if I were in her situation. Even though I'd try to say it didn't. And of course, I'm not in that situation and never will be (at least not that situation exactly) so I guess what I think I would do in that situation isn't really that relevant.
Anyway. I have to go pick up some dinner. Be back later.