A Question Of Gender

People are people.. I think they should just let everyone run together equal and be done with it.

This is so RIDICULOUS!!!! Who cares about testosterone levels!!! Shes still a woman!!!!

Assuming any testes are internal, I say let her run. There are many factors that make us who we are - athletic, artistic, musical, and so forth. It's likely that other female athletes in history may have had some male chemistry or biology. We accepted them as just really strong, capable women, because that's what they were. If this young woman turns out to be a hermaphrodite, and is kicked out because of it, then what testing should all athletes go through? Where do we draw the line???

Ladies of SheSpeaks...the very fact that events are separated by gender degrades women...I'm sure any of the woman in this competition can outrun my husband so let the fastest person win! sounds like sore losers are looking for an excuse. Drugs enhancing performance are one thing but this sounds like genetics to me!

This should be a joyous time for they young lady. Instead she is made to feel iike she's an outcast. How horrible it is to try to strip her of her dignity! ...Ladies, imagine someone telling you, you are not a woman, then go so far as to test you to tell you who and what you are!!! How outragious!!! ... Sore losers....

What a hard time this must be for her! So much to deal with, and so publicly. It really is wrong. If sports officials feel that they need to require gender testing in the future then fine -- it would be a private, automatic thing like drug testing. But to drag her through all this in public is disgraceful. Leave her alone and let her wear her awards with pride; she deserves them.

I think that was ridiculous of them to test her.

She has such talent and this is such a terrible thing for her. If it was decided that she be raised a girl and is a women in our society, so be it.

Gender is socially constructed. Her gender is a female without question. She was raised a girl and has played the role of a female in society throughout her life. Her sex is however being called into question. However, if she turns out to be XY, but appears and acts like a female then that is what she is. We don't go around questioning all the supermodels who are also intersex. We should really leave her alone. Imagine your sex being questioned over the media. Intersex is more common then people think and this is just another form of discrimination. She didn't decide to be born with ambiguous genitalia, if she was. She is just trying to make sense of who she is in a society that only tolerates male or female - nothing ambiguous.

She is a hermaphodite. She has undescended testicles that give her loads of testosterone. She has female gentalia and has been raised as a woman, so to me, she is a woman! Could Michael Phelps be banned from competing because of his genes have given him an almost perfect swimmer's body? Should Lance Armstrong be stripped of his titles because his cancer treatment left him with a different, possibly more advantageous, physique?

This is a sad situation. If she has both male and femal anatomy though how is it decided where she gets to compete? Just because she has both IMO does not mean she should not get the win. At birth it was stated she is female, she was raised as a female so who are any of us to say no sorry but just because you are faster, stronger or taller you cannot be the female you have lived your life as.

This is sad - problem is that there are other people that have similar issues with homone levels. If her birth certificate states that she is female then so be it. She is being penalized for something she has no control over. If you test her then you need to test ALL females to see if their testosterone levels are within the "normal" range (whatever that means).

This is really sad. She was made just how God made her, and not by using any drugs. She should be able to run. A lot of women have high testosterone levels. You will be stocked and surprised how high this percentage is. If the testes are undeveloped and on the inside then she should be able to run with other females.

I think it is so sad that we can't just let her run and win. Why do we have to jump into someones blood to see if they are worthy of the win. Yea if they take drugs that would enhance their win, that's a problem. But this is just the stupidest thing. Let the racers run. Focus on the sport. Geesh. Everyone is so reactive.

I think they have to put her through the gender tests to find the truth. And if she has both male and female anatomy, I don't think she can compete as a woman. I feel really badly for Semenya, but it's not fair to women at large if someone is competing with the benefits of male biology. It's one of the cruel tricks of life for someone to be a hermaphrodite, but in this case, I don't think Semenya should compete as a woman unless tests show that she is biologically woman.