ioc recommends "gender tests"

[bcbm]

AP Exclusive: IOC recommends gender-test centers

By STEPHEN WILSON AP Sports Writer The Associated Press
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 12:30 PM EST

LONDON (AP) — The International Olympic Committee is recommending the establishment of special medical centers to deal with athletes who have ambiguous sexual characteristics.

The IOC also wants rules put in place by sports bodies to determine their eligibility to compete on a "case by case" basis when gender is called into question.

The IOC organized a two-day conference with medical specialists in Miami to consider guidelines for handling sex-verification cases. The issue gained global attention last year when South African runner Caster Semenya was ordered to undergo gender tests.

The case of Semenya, who won the women's 800 meters in August at the world championships in Berlin, was not dealt with directly in the closed meetings Sunday and Monday. But it helped focus the need for clarity on the issue of whether an athlete competes as a man or a woman.

"We did not discuss any particular case," IOC medical commission chairman Arne Ljungqvist told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview. "We explored the science of all these matters. We established several important points based on up-to-date science and global expertise. Now we have the scientific basis for going further."

The IOC will consult with lawyers and its own athletes' commission to help establish specific guidelines.

Among the key conclusions was a proposal to set up health centers where experts would diagnose and treat athletes with what are known as "disorders of sex development." Most cases, Ljungqvist said, require treatment such as surgery or hormone therapy.

"We cannot expect sports in every country around the world to have the necessary expertise," Ljungqvist said by telephone. "That's not possible, so we recommend strategically located centers where cases could be referred, if necessary. It's for the experts to decide what to do with each individual case. There is no general treatment. There is no general diagnosis."

The Miami symposium — attended by about 15 scientists, medical experts and sports federation doctors — took place amid international scrutiny on Semenya, who was 18 when she won the 800 gold at the championships in August. Her dramatic improvement in times and muscular build led the International Association of Athletics Federations to order gender tests.


continued... (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100120/ap_on_sp_ol/oly_ioc_gender_cases)

[Invincible Summer]

...treating athletes with what are known as "disorders of sex development." Most cases, Ljungqvist said, require treatment such as surgery or hormone therapy.

What the fuck? I think it's pretty fucked up how just because someone doesn't fit into the neat biological dichotomy of "male and female," these athletes will be subject to surgery and shit? They have to change who they are (whether they have accepted it or not), just so they can compete in a ridiculous category for sport competition... that's absurd.

Every athlete is slightly biologically different anyway, so what's the big deal if someone has more/less testosterone/estrogen/whatever? This also brings into question one's gender identity vs biological category - what if a person identifies as a woman, but is biologically more of a man? Also, gender segregation in sports - is it really "unfair" for men to compete against women?

[cska]

Well, there are only two solutions. Either men and women compete against each other or you need to have gender tests. Personally I would go with the former.

[Yazman]

I don't really see any problems with this. Olympic sports are same-sex only competition.

[whore]

I don't really see any problems with this. Olympic sports are same-sex only competition.
can a person with xy chromosones, but female type genetalia compete as a female?

what about a person with "ambiguous" genetalia "corrected" at birth?

same-sex only competition sure, but how do you decided what "sex" a person is...

[Yazman]

Thats exactly what they're trying to do. They are attempting to set up some sort of regulations by which to make judgments when competing. Its the only feasible way to proceed without making drastic and far-reaching changes to how the Olympics operates i.e. abolishing same-sex competition which isn't going to happen (and wouldn't get much support), or establishing some sort of "genderqueer division" which wouldn't have enough competitors to justify creating.

[Meridian]

Also, gender segregation in sports - is it really "unfair" for men to compete against women?That depends on what you mean by "unfair".

I hope you realize that if men and women were to partake in the same competitions, women would rarely win any. That is just a fact, at least applicable to most of the physically straining branches. As a result I'd think there be less women in most of the competitive sports.

[Dooga Aetrus Blackrazor]

Technically, the whole idea of the Olympics is kind of ridiculous in many ways. Since women and men have different genetic skills, mainly determined by body structure, they are separated. Since athletes with disabilities have special challenges, they are separated.

Honestly, you could start measuring the length of the bones in runners and start having divisions based on things like body structure. AKA, some people can't compete as well because of such things. Others compete better. Look at Phelps and his body that is practically designed for swimming.

Or what about hard-work? What about equal people physically who have different abilities to train. What about the guy with a mental disorder who is forced to train less because of it. You see what I'm getting at, I hope. It's all arbitrary. As fun an interesting as the Olympics are, it's ultimately an attempt to reinforce the legitimacy of a quasi-meritocracy in the eyes of the proletariat.

[Revy]

It's wrong. Caster Semenya's only crime was being different. She should be allowed to compete as a woman, all transgender/intersex people should be allowed to compete as a man or a woman if that is what they identify close enough too.

[Yazman]

Or what about hard-work? What about equal people physically who have different abilities to train. What about the guy with a mental disorder who is forced to train less because of it. You see what I'm getting at, I hope. It's all arbitrary. As fun an interesting as the Olympics are, it's ultimately an attempt to reinforce the legitimacy of a quasi-meritocracy in the eyes of the proletariat.

Or you're just overanalysing a very popular sporting competition. Sports is a fundamental part of human culture. The Olympics is just a highly regulated, highly popular collection of tournaments that has an international focus. Abolishing it wouldn't help us in any way, shape, or form.


It's wrong. Caster Semenya's only crime was being different. She should be allowed to compete as a woman, all transgender/intersex people should be allowed to compete as a man or a woman if that is what they identify close enough too.

To my knowledge there hasn't been made a final decision on this yet.

[bcbm]

Or you're just overanalysing a very popular sporting competition. Sports is a fundamental part of human culture. The Olympics is just a highly regulated, highly popular collection of tournaments that has an international focus. Abolishing it wouldn't help us in any way, shape, or form.

it would probably help the people who get fucked over whenever the olympics comes to town.

[Invincible Summer]

Technically, the whole idea of the Olympics is kind of ridiculous in many ways. Since women and men have different genetic skills, mainly determined by body structure, they are separated. Since athletes with disabilities have special challenges, they are separated.

Honestly, you could start measuring the length of the bones in runners and start having divisions based on things like body structure. AKA, some people can't compete as well because of such things. Others compete better. Look at Phelps and his body that is practically designed for swimming.

Or what about hard-work? What about equal people physically who have different abilities to train. What about the guy with a mental disorder who is forced to train less because of it. You see what I'm getting at, I hope. It's all arbitrary. As fun an interesting as the Olympics are, it's ultimately an attempt to reinforce the legitimacy of a quasi-meritocracy in the eyes of the proletariat.


It's wrong. Caster Semenya's only crime was being different. She should be allowed to compete as a woman, all transgender/intersex people should be allowed to compete as a man or a woman if that is what they identify close enough too.

Yeah this is what I was getting at.

I think for team sports, it makes more sense to gender-segregate. However, for individual sports, I think that men and women should at least have the choice to compete together.

For example, for a triathlon or cycling event, they could have ranks for placement overall, as well as male and female categories so that athletes can see how they rank when non-segregated, as well as when they are competing against their own sex.

[Dooga Aetrus Blackrazor]

Or you're just overanalysing a very popular sporting competition. Sports is a fundamental part of human culture. The Olympics is just a highly regulated, highly popular collection of tournaments that has an international focus. Abolishing it wouldn't help us in any way, shape, or form.



To my knowledge there hasn't been made a final decision on this yet.

Most of the proletariat in Vancouver aren't happen with the Olympics. They are spending tons of taxpayer dollars, postponing surgeries, increasing security, moving the homeless against their will, disallowing the homeless to live in tents (despite this being unconstitutional and having precedent for being acceptable) because the courts won't rule until after the Olympics.

Traffic is increased that causes workers to take longer to go to work. Specific lanes are designated for the Olympics. Government money is being spent to send out of province politicians to the Olympics. Most people can't afford tickets or lodging.

I've never been the most observant person, but I'm under the impression that the proletariat aren't supporters of the Olympics. As much as they enjoy sports, I don't think they're that out of touch with reality. I could be wrong.

Have the Olympics, historically, done anything good for humanity? They've been politicized during War, limited civil liberties, spent money better spent elsewhere, etc. I'm a big fan of sports and will watch the Olympics, most likely. I'm not even necessarily advocating abolishing the Olympics, but it certainly doesn't have a good track record, as I see it.