News and Events => Opinions & Editorials => Topic started by: Shana A on February 01, 2010, 10:12:13 PM Return to Full Version
Title: From The Finish Line To The Gender Line
Post by: Shana A on February 01, 2010, 10:12:13 PM
Post by: Shana A on February 01, 2010, 10:12:13 PM
From The Finish Line To The Gender Line
by Brenda R. Weber
February 1, 2010
Brenda R. Weber is an assistant professor in gender studies at Indiana University and the author of Makeover TV: Selfhood, Citizenship, and Celebrity.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123206431&sc=fb&cc=fp (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123206431&sc=fb&cc=fp)
When South African runner Caster Semenya won the gold medal in the women's 800-meter race in Berlin last August, she set the world on fire. Not only had Semenya's impressive performance dominated her competitors by a full two seconds, but her athleticism and masculine appearance set off a firestorm that has rippled into the international discussion about gender and sports.
Following Semenya's win, the International Association of Athletics Federations ordered that she undergo "gender testing" to determine whether she was truly a woman. The tests, however, have not offered conclusive information either way — fueling further controversy. Since then, questions have arisen as to what truly determines gender.
by Brenda R. Weber
February 1, 2010
Brenda R. Weber is an assistant professor in gender studies at Indiana University and the author of Makeover TV: Selfhood, Citizenship, and Celebrity.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123206431&sc=fb&cc=fp (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123206431&sc=fb&cc=fp)
When South African runner Caster Semenya won the gold medal in the women's 800-meter race in Berlin last August, she set the world on fire. Not only had Semenya's impressive performance dominated her competitors by a full two seconds, but her athleticism and masculine appearance set off a firestorm that has rippled into the international discussion about gender and sports.
Following Semenya's win, the International Association of Athletics Federations ordered that she undergo "gender testing" to determine whether she was truly a woman. The tests, however, have not offered conclusive information either way — fueling further controversy. Since then, questions have arisen as to what truly determines gender.