Winner of the 800m gold medal race Caster Semenya is on suicide watch now after the media have publicly discussed her intersex status. She has been referred to as a "hermaphrodite" which is offensive and biologically impossibility since someone cannot have all male and female genitalia, but only parts and chromosomes. She has also been the butt of jokes on various late night shows which have completely taken advantage of this tragic situation.
Semenya.net has been created to show support for this athlete, and to let her know that she has supporters out there. Leave a message of support for Caster.
Photo courtsey of Erik van Leeuwen of Wikimedia Commons.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Website to Support Caster Semenya
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6 comments:
I fully support Semenya and I'm angry at the media for how they handled her story. But I'm also wary of a website created without her consent: isn't it another way to meddle in her life? Lots of celebrities have fan sites, but Semenya didn't exactly choose to become famous for her body.
On the other hand, since she's already been forced into the public eye, maybe getting this support will help. I don't know; in any case, I wish her all the best.
I write the sports' column for shewired.com and have been keeping up with her... to be only 18 an have all this happen, just because you are a great athlete. Thanks for the website...I will wholeheartedly give her my support!
Thank you for this important post. And thank you for giving me the opportunity to support Semenya.
I fully support this young athlete. However, it would be a good idea to have her permission for such a blog. She is not public property and has had so many invasions of privacy.
In 1950 a Dutch girl was also expelled after a secret gender verification. A very tragic case. Foekje Dillema also had a Y-chromosome and internal testicles. She was the opponent of the late and great Fanny Blankers Koen.
Foekje did not dare to leave her house for two years after the test. See http://www.foekjedillema.com the english summary
Yes, you are absolutely correct: she is not a hermaphrodite. She is in every determinable way a male, and it is sad the way she has learned this. Even sadder how the South African athletic president knew of this, and denied it to the bitter end.
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