Gender verification in the Olympics is a very interesting topic. The rationale behind gender verification is to level the playing field by seeking out competitors attempting to compete in the wrong classification, specifically males competing as females. The Stockholm Consensus, the IOC's policy towards transgender athletes competing, while flawed still promotes the inclusion of transgender athletes in the sport world. My problems with sex testing are that it is only done with women (I was not able to find any reports of a male being tested because they looked too much like a woman) and gender is almost impossible to classify as it can relate to psychological, physical, and genetic characteristics of an individual. Handley (2010) pointed out that several athletes only learn of genetic differences that are being classified as disorders of sex development and a medical condition called androgen insensitivity syndrome when they undergo sex testing. This can be devastating to an athlete who is being told they are not the gender they have grown up and lived as. If only some female athletes are going to be required to undergo sex testing because of their looks, let’s make it fair and test ALL athletes male and female, so we can make sure no one is being taken advantage of, not just us poor females.
The following link is to a documentary about Michelle Dumaresq, a male to female transgender professional mountain bike racer. What was most interesting to me about this film was how her relationships with her “friends” changed from when she wasn’t considered a professional and when she was granted professional status.
100% Woman - Michelle Dumaresq
Hi Courtney,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that we should test all the athletes for their “actual gender”, both male and female athletes. Otherwise, it is kind of discrimination for the masculine female athletes. If we test all the athletes, however, it will cost too much money and time. I think it is really difficult to balance the discrimination issues and the costs which are also important.
Thank you for sharing the video!
In discussing this topic, I started to come to the same realization as you have- males are completely excluded from gender testing. Can you say gender discrimination? Is it because they don't think that a female who changes to a male would be able to qualify for the Olympics? I am not sure how much the gender testing costs but it may be something that they should test for in all athletes. I was reading an article about gender testing in the Olympics and the eligibility of females with hyperandrogenism. Here is the link: http://www.olympic.org/media?articlenewsgroup=-1&articleid=124006&searchpageipp=10&searchpage=1
ReplyDeleteThank you for your thoughts on gender testing Courtney! It is a very interesting topic to me, seeing as like you said, how do you decide who is gender tested. Although, it may not be right and definitely discriminatory I can see why the IOC wouldn't test men. In all reality, a women in most sports would not be able to compete at the same level as males. I look at track & field and the marks across the board are all significantly faster, or further, or higher for males. This is not because women are "less than," it is solely because just the natural design of our bodies.
ReplyDeleteIn regard to the actual testing, I can't imagine how it must make a female athlete that has worked so hard at her sport to become big and fast and strong, only to be accused of possibly being a man. I am not sure what the answer is to the issue. I think you brought up a great point that the IOC should just test everyone, not singling out any individual. The next issue would be the feasibility and cost of this sort of testing.
while this is very sensitive, I don't think gender testing is needed as much in men as the women athletes because there is not as much in question. There are many reason why women would be in question as to her gender in sports and the obvious advantages in the competetion. Personally, I can't think of how a man would have an athletic advantage over another man by becoming more feminine. I am just saying.....
ReplyDeleteIn general I'm just saying there have to be intersex male athletes. I'm curious if those male athletes would be told they can't compete because they are not specifically one or the other.
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