Intersex athletes

[Skeezix]

The fuss about this just baffles me. Life is too short to fixate on the genitals of people one doesn't know.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

The fuss about this just baffles me. Life is too short to fixate on the genitals of people one doesn't know.

If fairness is an issue - since we know testestrone enhances performance - set a limit to that.

AoD

 

[Skeezix]

Sure. And such a limit is currently being examined in legal channels. In the meantime, it's not unfair for eligible competitors to have won in accordance with the rules of a sport.

 

[buildup]

Sure. And such a limit is currently being examined in legal channels. In the meantime, it's not unfair for eligible competitors to have won in accordance with the rules of a sport.

Its the women's Olympics. They are not women.

 

[James]

In the future, where people of all age, race, creed, colour, sex, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, gender and disability are truly equal, we will just have one event for everyone to participate and compete in, if they so choose, equally.

 

[Skeezix]

Its the women's Olympics. They are not women.

Putting aside the question as to what the "women's Olympics" are, when you are put in charge of determining everyone's sex and setting the rules for this sport, let me know. Until then, I don't care.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

In the future, where people of all age, race, creed, colour, sex, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, gender and disability are truly equal, we will just have one event for everyone to participate and compete in, if they so choose, equally.

Except that sexual dimorphism (it's a somewhat binary reduction, but nevermind the details too much at this stage) doesn't translate into a level playing field.

AoD

 

[ksun]

I found it amusing that we don't demand intersex be established as a legitimate third gender for anything official (passport, whatnot) and yet there is the demand to treat them as a separate category in sport.

AoD

No need to create a new category. If one's testosterone level is more similar to male than female, then they should participate in the male events. Putting this whole "gender" thing aside, I would rather see intersex athletes compete in a game where they are of somewhat a disadvantage than a massive advantage.

Putting aside the question as to what the "women's Olympics" are, when you are put in charge of determining everyone's sex and setting the rules for this sport, let me know. Until then, I don't care.

It is NOT about determining people's sex. It is about creating a fair competition. Isn't the whole point of having sex separate Olympic games to give females equally opportunity to compete with those who are of similar physical conditions and avoid competing with males in games where muscle strength and stamina etc matter greatly (especially in track and fields)?

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

No need to create a new category. If one's testosterone level is more similar to male than female, then they should participate in the male events. Putting this whole "gender" thing aside, I would rather see intersex athletes compete in a game where they are of somewhat a disadvantage than a massive advantage.

I don't think anyone necessarily want to see Olympics by testestrone level instead of sex either - not to mention the notion of lumping someone who have always been female for all except competition purposes has a certain cruelty that I am not sure is appropriate.

AoD

 

[ksun]

I don't think anyone necessarily want to see Olympics by testestrone level instead of sex either - not to mention the notion of lumping someone who have always been female for all except competition purposes has a certain cruelty that I am not sure is appropriate.

AoD

True, but how can we say athletes like Semenya are female? She has an undescended testicle if I read it right.
Just because she is brought up as a girl and recognizes herself as a woman doesn't mean it is fair for her to compete in women's sports. It is probably the only area where sex, rather than "gender" matters. If she goes to a piano contest or to win nobel prize, nobody will care if it is a he or she.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

True, but how can we say athletes like Semenya are female? She has an undescended testicle if I read it right.
Just because she is brought up as a girl and recognizes herself as a woman doesn't mean it is fair for her to compete in women's sports. It is probably the only area where sex, rather than "gender" matters. If she goes to a piano contest or to win nobel prize, nobody will care if it is a he or she.

Well no, which is why the proxy of testestrone level works best as a qualifier for sports divided by sex - a category that the athlete herself want to compete in.

AoD

 

[buildup]

Putting aside the question as to what the "women's Olympics" are, when you are put in charge of determining everyone's sex and setting the rules for this sport, let me know. Until then, I don't care.

No-one asked you to care. Post or don't post, its optional. The purpose of starting this thread was to surface wacky opinions. Your views are extraordinarily sexist.
After all the progress women have made in building the quality of the women's Olympics, the fact that Gold, Silver, Bronze didn't go to women is cool a far as you're concerned.

 

[buildup]

No need to create a new category. If one's testosterone level is more similar to male than female, then they should participate in the male events. Putting this whole "gender" thing aside, I would rather see intersex athletes compete in a game where they are of somewhat a disadvantage than a massive advantage.



It is NOT about determining people's sex. It is about creating a fair competition. Isn't the whole point of having sex separate Olympic games to give females equally opportunity to compete with those who are of similar physical conditions and avoid competing with males in games where muscle strength and stamina etc matter greatly (especially in track and fields)?

Well said.

 

[ksun]

Sounds like a great Olympics. The women, old people, babies, disabled people will lose every single time to Usain Bolt. Seriously I do get your humour.

yeah, which is why we have women vs. men's games, plus para-olympics. No senior Olympics, though I think we should.

I get it that now "gender" is considered the new sex, what I can't stand is people waving the ultra-liberal "gender" flag as if sex means absolutely nothing and it is all about "gender", even in sports. Really? If sex is irrelevant, I guess age should be too. Should adults start to participate in all sorts of junior games, because apparently, what matters is not the physical age, but how young you feel inside? Can I change my age on the passport to 16 again since I "feel" that young?

 

[buildup]

yeah, which is why we have women vs. men's games, plus para-olympics. No senior Olympics, though I think we should.

I get it that now "gender" is considered the new sex, what I can't stand is people waving the ultra-liberal "gender" flag as if sex means absolutely nothing and it is all about "gender", even in sports. Really? If sex is irrelevant, I guess age should be too. Should adults start to participate in all sorts of junior games, because apparently, what matters is not the physical age, but how young you feel inside? Can I change my age on the passport to 16 again since I "feel" that young?

Very good. Seinfeld addressed that when Kramer joined a Dojo and dominated the 8 year-olds.