To wonder why there's such a focus on Caster Semenya, when trans athletes like Rachel McKinnon are taking women's medals and no-one bats an eyelid?

[Huskylover1]

It's making my blood boil. And when I say "taking" women's medals, I actually mean stealing. Or cheating their way to the top.

I had a similar thought. I’m sure I’ve read somewhere that Semenya’s testosterone level is lower than that of trans athletes (could be wrong).

I guess because CS has been around longer and has been very successful, along with other intersex athletes and there has been doubt as to whether they are actually male ir female. Transwomen athletes haven’t been on the public radar for as long.

Probably because she’s a woman and the trans athletes are men so that makes them wonderful and great. Oh, and brave. Can’t forget brave.

The IAAF has never even said she's a man; she's a woman who should be allowed to compete with other women, and frankly she's been training all her life to run.

I have read so many ignorant comments these days saying she's a trans woman; she's not. I have even seen people commenting that because she's married to another woman she must be a man for sure!

I think the Mary Gregory thing has brought the issue of transgender athletes to a lot of people's attention. Most of the comments I've seen on social media have not been positive about Mary's new world records. Sharron Davies and Kelly Holmes are certainly not thrilled about it on Twitter.

She's got undecended testes and xy chromosomes so biologically she is male.
Hopefully the ruling will go some way to stopping transwomen wrecking women's sport.
Might not be fair on caster but its fair to the other competitors.

Peggy I know that Semenya is a woman. My rage, is that there is all this focus on her, because her testosterone levels are higher due to a medical issue, however, trans women are allowed to compete in women's categories, even though their testosterone levels are x10 higher than actual females. Plus, whatever treatment they may have had (if any), will not affect their stature and height. It feels very unfair to focus on Semenya and not Trans atheletes.

Hopefully the ruling will go some way to stopping transwomen wrecking women's sport

And yet this hasn't happened. They are still competing as women, and taking the medals.

McKinnon is an extremely aggressive twitterer and has a lynch mob who joins in with every attack McK makes, with no respect to genuinely great, intelligent sportswomen like Martina Navratilova or Sharron Davies. Fortunately they are tough enough to withstand that nonsense, but it is disgraceful how McKinnon and co have shut so many women’s voices out of discussion with bullying. It’s even worse as McK’s arguments are controversial at best and downright farcical at worst.

If CS is actually male though- does that make a difference?

Well the ruling was only made yesterday so it wont have affected anything yet..
If all 'women' athletes are held to the same standard as CS then transwomen will automatically be out if their testosterone is over.
Really I think testosterone is a red herring as even by lowering t levels transwomen still have unfair advantage from going through male puberty.
CS is biologically male.
There is a long thread in feminism about this, it's very informative.

As far as I can see, once CS's situation is ruled on, this ruling should then be extrapolated to transwomen: if the ruling bodies mandate maximum testosterone levels of 5, but transwomen can't get them below 10, then that allow will prevent them competing with women.

Sorry, 'that alone'.

And yet this hasn't happened. They are still competing as women, and taking the medals

The ruling has just happened! Jumping the gun a bit there.

Inside science on radio 4 this afternoon was very informative about testosterone levels, all athletes have to have them below the level... But only for two weeks before the event.. The expert talked about legacy effects, and as far as I understand the legacy or benefits of higher testosterone last about six months. So tw should have to have their testosterone lowered by medication for six months at least prior to competing to make it in anyway fair.
He also talked about lifetime legacy especially if you are exposed to higher testosterone during puberty. He wS careful to say more research is needed as it's not clear but inherently he thinks the effects will last a lifetime.

The only time Semenya ever presents as a woman is when they're competing. Ever seen them in an interview? Proudly male and pretty fucking misogynist to boot.
I wish all the guys would fuck off out of women's sport, and I'll save my sympathy for the women who have lost out to them.

Oh also not all events or regulatory bodies enforce a testosterone level on women or tw competitors

Whilst the CS ruling is good in some ways unfortunately I don't think it goes far enough. Posters need to look at the CS thread in 'Feminism Chat' where there is lots more detail.

There has been a bit of press coverage since the ruling however no-one seems to be prepared to come out (except Sharon Davis) and state the CS is XY. People still seem to believe that CS is a woman with elevated testosterone where in fact it would appear that CS is a man.

The important thing I think is to keep trans women and intersex completely separate. It really is very simpley XY and XX, segregated sport. Lord Coe did speak about this but unfortunately used 'Gender' instead of 'Sex'.

Huskylover1 I agree with your post. They are really targeting her.

My comment was mostly referred to the fact that some people (and posters) seem to believe she's a man. Being intersex (XY chromosomes, female genitalia) is completely different from being a trans.

There's a thread on AMA from a poster who is intersex and kindly answers all the questions somone could have about her conditions. She has XY chromosomes, but she's always been and is a woman.

No one takes any notice? Are you for real? Most of the McKinnon threads are so explosive and expressive that they get deleted!!

But Caster ISN'T a man. Not 'technically' or any other way. Who decides that the testing required to determine someone's chromosomes or internal organs defines whether someone is a man or a woman, rather than the presence of a vulva?

It's shameful the way she has been treated. How can the same athletic bodies ban drugs for competition insist that a woman takes drugs before being allowed to compete ? How can they decide that this human is born inherently unable to take part in high-level athletics competitions ? Intersex is very different from trans and the level of intrusiveness to which Caster has been subjected is awful. And a violation of her dignity.

The thing that makes me feel that Caster Semanya is being targeted is that the rules concerned do not apply to all women's track and field athletics.

Intersex =/= trans btw.