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This is currently being run on AOL and elsewhere. We went through this controversy decades ago and it was resolved. Poor Sarah Gronert, she wants to play tennis and is reasonably good and a few bigots want to steal that from her. I have not seen any mention of what her chromosomal makeup is. I'll research later.
http://www.aolhealth.com/condition-center/womens-sexual-heal...
http://tennis.fanhouse.com/2009/03/13/tennis-player-sarah-gr...
Portia
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All I have to say about being Intersexed
It is not a fun experience. Especially when you are IS and someone else decides what sex you have to be, and its not the one you are.
Sephrena Lynn Miller
BigCloset TopShelf
What is normal?
And does anyone want to be normal?
It is a physiological fact that a Transwoman is not exactly like a genetic woman. Even after the 40% loss of muscle mass I was supposed to experience, I am still stronger than a woman my height. My arms are longer, and the muscles on my hips and thighs are placed differently than a genetic woman's. My knees are tighter and there are still any number of other differences that I do not know about.
This may carry over to the intersexed also. So, perhaps after surgery, she is still not exactly like a genetic woman. So, what happens if you take a 5'7", 140lb woman and pit her against a 5"1" 110lb woman? Assuming equal training, I think the smaller woman is going to get trounced.
IMHO, the case of Renee Richards and the case of the other woman who was intersexed are NOT alike. Renee is less like a genetic woman than the other one. I think Renee has the advantage.
On the other hand, so if a trans or intersexed woman does compete and win, so what? She won't hold the title forever and then someone else can have it.
Tennis Anyone
The only reason I brought up Dr. Richards was because of the tennis angle. She successfully fought for recognition as a female tennis player. One would think that the route for an intersexed individual would be less difficult. I guess not.
Portia
Portia
This will always be a problem ...
... as long as sport is organised to allow women to compete amongst themselves rather than amongst the population a whole ie including men. Most women in most physical sports would be unable to compete at the highest level without concessions to their gender. Let's face it, in general men are stronger and faster and without separation women would get nowhere and that would be a great pity because sport should be available to all. Any blurring of gender will always draw claims of cheating.
Anyone remember the Press 'brothers' who were women heavily doped with (I assume) testosterone by the East German regime to compete in women's power athletics (shot and discus IIRC)?
It doesn't always apply. I'm sure Angharad will remember the performance of Beryl Burton who in setting the women's British national 12 hour cycling time trial record beat the the man who also broke the men's record in the same event. The women's record stood at a greater distance than the men's for a while. Beryl was a very feminine woman and a remarkable character known to cyclists throughout Britain by her first name only.
Geoff
Careful Geoff!
in general men are stronger and faster
Careful, Geoff, the PC Gender Police will get you for making statements like that! Not done, you know? Look at the poor kid whose mother and sister are making him spend the family vacation as a girl (can't remember the name of the silly story) for saying the same thing. Pretty quick they'll have you in skirts also. ;-)
They know they can survive
Ok. Call me stupid I dont
Ok. Call me stupid I dont see the problem with her competing. She was born a female. I would rather see what she can do with her talent than know what went wrong at her birth. That is just wrong. I would hope my parents would not talk about what went wrong at my birth when I was her age. That would be just to much infomation for me.