Did any of you see this on the news a few weeks ago? A young 'woman' won a race, and some believed that she was not actually a female because of her physique and the speed she was able to attain. Initially, when a panel of doctors did a preliminary check on 'her', they said it was inconclusive as to whether she was a she or a he.

Now that all the testing has been completed, they know she is neither... or both, depending on how you look at it.

Against whom should she/he compete? Obviously, this individual is a great runner and it seems sad to think there is no venue for her/him to compete... but who does he/she race against? Males or females?

Runner is a 'hermaphrodite' | The Sun |News

I think this should be the defining comment on this person's gender:

__________________
Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

Did you see her run, marilyn? She left the others in the dust, and her body type appears very masculine. I think she'll get bored competing with the girls - I don't think there is a race she won't win!

No, I haven't watched her run. But I knew by the time she posted, she was extraordinarily fast.

However, this is a case of pick a gender and "run" with it (no pun intended). Until she undergoes surgery to change into a man (should she choose to do so), she should be allowed to run as a woman. Or vice-versa.

I feel sorry for her. She shouldn't be punished because of a medical condition/genetic condition that she had no control over. If she wants to be a girl and run w/ the girls that is what they should do.

__________________
Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

I agree - I feel very sorry for her and don't want to see her punished. On the flipside of the issue, I feel badly for any female who is disadvantaged because they are running against someone whose male traits obviously have given her an advantage unlike any of the other women could achieve without taking substance that would probably be illegal for them to take.

Maybe it will come down to what she decides. When government forms are filled out now, it's what the person decides regarding race and national origin for themselves. And instead of just black or white, multiple boxes can now be checked.

I saw a blurb about this a couple of weeks ago. Physically, she definitely looks like a man.

dl

Yeah I feel sorry for the runner too, there are some women and particularly athletic women who just have a masculine appearance. They used to test all the women athletes in certain venues, I think even the Olympics? and if they could be either gender then they were allowed to compete as women.

I guess it comes down to what the physician who presides over the event decides.

__________________
The political system is broke and it's a joke.

For those who say she looks like a man - have you seen how she looks after the magazine gave her a makeover? She was absolutely stunning - as a woman.

__________________
Meddle ye not in the affairs of Dragons, for you are crispy, and taste good with Ketchup!

I think it's very sad and a very hard situation, but the tests showed that she has no uterus, no ovaries and undescended testes. She should certainly live as a woman if she likes, but I don't think she should be allowed to compete at one, since, genetically, she seems to be much closer to a male. I feel bad for her -- she's done nothing wrong, but her life is going to change so much.

__________________

Reading is Fundamental.

Skye, I did see those photos on tv and you're right. She looks beautiful. Of course, she is part female so it would stand to reason that making her appear feminine is a very possible thing to do. I think a good make-up artist can make a male look feminine and vice-versa... so I think that's great, especially if she wants to live as a woman, but I don't know that it makes her less male, kwim?

I wonder how she would stack up in the male races. Is she only an 'outstanding runner' if she is competing with females?

I think it's very sad, and has to be very confusing for her. What a thing to find out about yourself!

I wondered the same thing! It would be interesting to know how her times compare with male runners.

__________________

Reading is Fundamental.