Black Female Athlete Dominates Competition-Gets Gender Identity Questioned

[Natasha]

Black Female Athlete Dominates Competition-Gets Gender Identity Questioned

http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2009/08/black-female-athlete-dominates.html
Monica Roberts
8/20/09

One of the depressingly tired memes of elite level athletic competition is that almost every time a Black woman rises to become the best at her sport, she is either dissed, suspected of cheating or has her gender identity questioned.

[Natasha]

Black Female Athletes: An Ongoing Meme of Ignorance

http://www.bilerico.com/2009/08/black_female_athlete_dominates_competition-gets_ge.php
Monica Roberts
8/25/09

One of the depressingly tired memes of elite level athletic competition is that almost every time a Black woman rises to become the best at her sport, she is either dissed, suspected of cheating or has her gender identity questioned.

caster-semenya wins.jpgThe latest episode of this sorry meme is evolving right now in the wake of Caster Semenya winning the 800m world championship in Berlin with the fifth fastest run of all time.

Since she doesn't look stereotypically female, has short cropped hair and a deep, raspy voice, that's enough 'evidence' for the IAAF gender police to haul her in for gender testing.

[finewine]

Since she doesn't look stereotypically female, has short cropped hair and a deep, raspy voice, that's enough 'evidence' for the IAAF gender police to haul her in for gender testing

I wonder what criteria the author feels would be sufficient 'evidence' to justify inquiry?  Short of a genetic test, what else aside from superficial features is there?  I don't disagree with the general sentiment but the meme in question doesn't normally lead to IAAF testing - it's the marked increase in her performance which probably triggered this, rather than the gossip alone (although yeah, the meme is stupid - the article could have cited Fatima Whitbread as a non-black athlete who also had the same cruel remarks...but was never tested).

Further, here's what IAAF "gender police" [sic] spokesman Nick Davies is quoted as saying:

Davies said this was not a mandatory or compulsory test and the athlete was in no way suspected of cheating.

"This is a medical condition. It is nothing that she has done. There is a need to make sure rules are followed," Davies said, adding discretion and the protection of the athlete was paramount.

Presumably the "medical condition" relates to conditions that could explain the elevated testosterone levels (allegedly 3 times the normal female range).  The comment about discretion and protection is somewhat ironic given the humiliation of having this very story so prominently in the press, etc..

[tekla]

The IAAF polices everything a world class athlete puts into their body.  This is just one more topic, since in the past, it was done.  She knew this going in.  No sympathy.