A few days ago, I lamented that South African runner Caster Semenya was forced to perform gender to allay the public’s suspicions that she was a man.
I still lament that fact.
But right now, having read unofficial reports that Semenya is intersex, I feel very sad for the 18-year-old, who is discovering something life-changing in front of the public eye. Renee at Womanist Musings writes, much better than I could:
Today, Caster is the same person as she was before the intimate details of her physical construct were revealed to the world. Unless she has her testicles removed and takes estrogens, her racing career may be over. It may well seem to her, that she is being punished for being who she is and in this, she would be correct. Not only will she be prevented from competing in a sport she clearly loves, the intimacies of her body are now news for public fodder. Intersex bodies should not be treated as though they are sickness that needs to be cured, nor should she face social stigmatization for the narrow-mindedness of some.
Perhaps she’ll end up like Erik Schinegger or Maria Pinto or Santhi Soundarajan, who have gone on to lead very productive lives. At the least, though, I hope she’s getting the counseling she needs and that she will be able to withdraw from prying eyes for the time being.