BBC article on gene testing in women’s athletics

[Talipesmum]

tests begin in women's athletics - new rule explained www.bbc.com/sport/athletics/articles/c9d07jq6vpeo This article lays out the history and reasoning behind the reintroduction of genetic testing for athletes. I thought it was v good, clear and factual. Adds info such as “At the 2016 Olympics in Rio, all three medallists in the women's 800m (including winner Semenya) were DSD athletes, intensifying calls for tighter rules.” which is a clear way of explaining to those without much prior knowledge why this matters and isn’t an insignificant thing.

Shame they misgendered Semanya throughout, after carefully explaining that people with Semanya’s DSD have XY chromosomes, and are therefore genetically male , they used female pronouns for him. He is a man.

They also seemed to imply that for some athletes the test results could be a surprise. Really? In modern sport at a national and international level the athletes physical health and conditions are minutely observed and recorded, so for the athletes who for want of a better term “ were assigned female at birth” but who like Semanya have never had a period, have never developed breasts and who have exhibited male pubertal muscle development, strength and physical growth it is frankly unlikely to come as a surprise to their trainers and National Sports bodies when their test results show their true genetic makeup.

"Shame they misgendered Semanya throughout, after carefully explaining that people with Semanya’s DSD have XY chromosomes, and are therefore genetically male , they used female pronouns for him. He is a man.

And this one too?
academic.oup.com/jcem/article-abstract/93/1/182/2598461

Pronouns are a real problem. The majority of the world still thinks Semenya is a woman because they believe the pronouns.

I think it is possible someone could be genuinely surprised. Someone with CAIS who has naively put their lack of periods down to overtraining for example. But it’s a failure of healthcare and support staff around that athlete to not recognise the implications of having never had a period, which should always be investigated, even in elite athletes.

But yes, I don’t believe for one second it was a surprise to those athletes who knew they had been through male puberty. Semenya has a photo in his book of him shirtless on a beach on a school trip aged 15. He knew.

This is a pretty good article!

I guess court cases are inevitable, but it seems clear that the sporting authorities are not going to back down.

I didn't know that about Semenya's photo. And there he was at the European human rights court claiming (and winning) that he hadn't had a fair hearing. Switzerland didn't give him a fair hearing, but the case doesn't prove his assertion that he's female.

Good to see the issue getting an airing on the BBC. They've been so reluctant to cover these issues until recently.

Still waiting for FIFA to apply the same criteria, not to mention the WNBA.

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif has appealed to the Court of Arbitration (CAS) to compete in the upcoming World Boxing Championship without undergoing genetic sex verification. Article in the Daily Mail on line. Sorry not able to share.

Just found here too. Interestingly the entire article avoids using personal pronouns.

and eta just saw the guardian article as well - also no personal pronouns. Includes a rebuttal from khalif but no more. The article they link referencing her 2024 Olympic win is all over with she, her etc.

I read somewhere that since the Paris Olympics Khelif has gone up a weight class. Something which female boxers find very difficult to do because it means putting on so much muscle mass, but it means that if he were ever allowed to box then any female opponents would be in even more danger of serious injury.

It’s hard to think of another example where an athlete is so determined to prove a point by potentially causing extreme physical abuse to a competitor.

So one simple cheek swap.
No genital inspections or other nonsense that protesters claimed would happen.
And further testing if the gene is found to test for CAIS.

Seems very fair for sport.

Compare it to drugs tests that athletes submit to willingly on a regular basis.

My dd competes at the top end of national for her sport. At a GB camp recently they actually had a session on being drug tested and what will happen because it is such a difficult thing the first time.

(For the record you have to be naked from mid chest to mid thigh and the observer has to see the urine leave the body.)

Fair enough, they obviously need to be certain that a bottle of 'clean piss' hasn't been secreted about the person.

Some can be born with external female genitalia but functioning testes, and are often certified as female at birth and raised as such

I think it would be better if they had said ‘external female genitalia or an under developed penis, and are often certified as female etc”

One of the issues is the John Money tendency to argue that it is so awful to be a a male without complete male genitalia that their sex should be hidden.