Athletic Organization Forces Women With Too Much “Muscle Mass” to Undergo Hormone Treatment…To Be Fair
What makes a woman a woman? The International Association of Athletics Federations may not be able to answer that question, but they can tell you what makes a woman not a woman, and that’s high levels of testosterone, reports Jezebel.com.
Ever since Caster Semenya, 21, made waves in South Africa by winning the 800-meter world championship, the idea that women with traditionally masculine characteristics were not feminine enough to compete against other women has been at the forefront of many people’s minds:
“These kind of people should not run with us. For me, she’s not a woman. She’s a man,” said Elisa Cusma, who lost to Semenya in the race. The IAAF agrees with her assessment and have claimed that women like Semenya have an “unfair advantage” and must undergo hormone therapy prescribed by an expert medical panel. If they do not undergo treatment then they can not compete with other women.
“More muscle mass, easier recovery and a higher level of blood red cells,” said Dr. Stéphane Bermon, coordinator of the IAAF working group on Hyperandrogenism and Sex Reassignment in Female Athletics.”
Semenya no longer looks as masculine as she used to, forced to conform to the strict regulations that have made her a softer, more accepted version of womanhood. According to the Toronto Star, she’s “almost unrecognizable from photographs taken during the height of the controversy.” And it doesn’t end with her.
The International Olympic Committee is currently in the process of “policing femininity” for the upcoming London Games. Semenya will be there, performing with less strength and now considered a “normal” athlete — not an extraordinary as she used to be. This development leads to the question: What is a woman? Is it merely a vagina? Breasts? Curves? Are we not more than our estrogen and testosterone levels? While many men willingly take steroids to become stronger, athletic organizations have made it illegal for them to do so. Yet, a woman deemed too “strong,” is openly forced to change who she is just to exist in the box created for her.
I don’t know about you, but in my opinion, this is a giant step backwards in the battle for women rights.
This is a very slippery slope that the IAAF is going down. SMH
Huh? How are you going to tell women that have made it their career to train to be strong to take something that is going to undo everything they’ve done. That’s like big booties….so I got one by nature and hard work….you want one too then get the same way….uh hm or by fix a flat and crazy glue LOL!
Who cares. Women don’t don’t like to see other women too much muscle anyway. Most women never want to look threatening to males, especially physically. Most men want women to look soft yet slender with limited definition like say Beyonce or Michelle Obama. So this ruling is just a subtle way to tell women to stay in your place and most women will unfortunately fall in line.
Um this is not a matter of appearance…it is a matter of preformance. These women have built their careers on how good their bodies perform in their case the more physical your build or the stronger your body is the more power. So in exchange for this asset you may have a very chiseled appearance. It doesn’t make them any less of a woman because her biceps are bigger than her man’s. Just because society isn’t comfortable with how you look doesn’t mean you have to change or conform for them….leave these ladies alone and let them live.
That makes no sense. So men can’t undergo hormone therapy but women must if they have too much muscle? What is deemed too much? Who determines it? So long as you are born biologically as a woman you should be allowed to compete without having to deal with this craziness.
My sentiments exactly! Utter nonsense!!
Right! They’re doing this to her because women are expected to fit these extreme categories.
lol..they are trying to find an edge since we win all of the races…losers