Who are You
You may be asking youself why the question "Who are You". Well to be honest it was the recent events surrounding the world chapianchip athlete Caster Semenya, who won the 800m in Berlin and was recently in the news. If you have not seen the story in the world press, she was Imeadeately acused of being a man just because of how she looks
| When we look at differance we all think of things like Disability, Sexual Orentation, Race, Gender, Trans Gender, Age, and so on. Most people will look at things like those listed or even the way some one dresses or acts. |
The questioning of Casters gender will have a massive impact on here as i think it would any one of us. Could you imagin having your verey being questiond in the full glare of the world. could you imagin that happening to you, and then having to go through both physical examanation followed by blood testing DNA tests and the like. Can you imagin the psychological impact on this woman. The strain must be unbearable, all she did was run a race and won.
could you imagin being in that position where you core being is chalanged. which brings me to the question "who are you" I suppose there is one certanty in life, that is "we are born and one day our life will end", following on from this many of us will probably reply, i am who i am because of my upbringing, and pesonality, that develope though other influences in life.
Some of us have found the "FREEDOM" to be who we are. Some wouldnt want to find themselves because they fear finding there true self. And others would like to know but fear the cost to there psychological and physical wellbeing. And there are those who do not understand why they feel the way they do. the list is infanate to be honest we could not include all of the reasons why we are who we are or not as the case may be.
"Who are You"
The family of a South African teenager who won a gold medal at the athletics world championships have angrily hit out at claims she is a hermaphrodite.
An investigation into the gender of Caster Semenya was sparked after concerns were voiced at the 18-year-old's masculine appearance and a series of fast performances on the track, including victory in the women's 800m last month.
Officials at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) confimed they received the results of the tests yesterday but are keeping them secret until they have been properly considered and the athlete informed.
Lesiba Rammabi, Miss Semenya's uncle, responded angrily to reports in the Australian Daily Telegraph that the tests had revealed she possesses both male and female sex organs and has no womb.
"I believe Caster is normal, inside and out," he said. "What does it matter whether she can have babies or not? Many people cannot have children, why else do parents adopt? Are those women not women also? We are a normal family who looked at a child when she was born, saw that she was a girl and raised her as any other family would do. Are we now being told that we are wrong?
"We are very humiliated by what has been said and do not understand how it can be true. This is a woman who was raised a female. She will always be female, no matter what people say."
Nick Davies, a spokesman for the IAAF, said it was likely to be another fortnight before any decision is announced on the outcome of the gender tests.
"We have the final results from the specialist tests carried out in Germany," he said. "These now need to be interpreted by a panel of experts drawn from the IAAF Medical Commission and some outside specialists as well. It is likely that we will be in a position to then discuss the results, in private, with Semenya, and decide on the course of action and any public announcement."
If it is determined that the teenager has a medical condition which means she has excessive testosterone naturally, the IAAF is not expected to strip her of her gold medal.
