Public Airing of Caster Semenya's Questionable Identity Humiliating

We all know that gender determined characteristics could be different from one's sex but when this is the case, it is obvious that it causes some distress to the individual and it is the person who might want to seek help in understanding why they are the way they are. It is an emotional, psychological and physical issue for the individual in question.

I believe that the case of South African athlete, Caster Semenya's questionable identity should have been handled with more sensitivity. It is a challenge to the core of a person and could easily leave that individual with many questions afterwards. It is humiliating and could impact that person badly if they already had a self-esteem issue about their body image.

I think the issue has been blown out of proportion and was broadcast all over the world. The way she has been sensationalized in the media is unfortunate and in some ways discriminatory. We do not all fit into neat little boxes. We have to prepare to accept our male and female-ness within the spectrum of gender. What determines gender anyway - is it the testosterone levels in a person's body? The presence of both male and female anatomy? chromosones? excess muscles, deep voice? height? weight? what?

I have a friend who told me that as a young girl her testosterone levels were extremely high because of a medical problem. She however was not muscular but a small framed body and did not show any outward symptoms of gender issues and in fact had no gender conflicts.

There are women who are masculine-looking. The way we expect a male and a female to look is also a social construct. We have to remember this. It should come as no surprise when an athlete is muscular. They train hard and it is expected that a woman can develop great musculature. Look at the way, world-renowned tennis player Venus' muscles are packed in like a man, also Martina Navratilova - these are female.

Semenya is from the village and women in villages do hard manual labour. She does not enjoy the privileges of a middleclass life and so her body is the way it is because of her upbringing, social and environmental circumstances.

The South African nation is rightly enraged by the spectacle the organizers and media have made of one of their national athletic heroes and role models and has taken steps to let their anger be known to the International Association of Athletics Federation, the governing body for the Track and Field competition that took place in Berlin.

Is this a case of racism? Was this story perpetrated by a racist who cannot stand to see Africans shine as they always do in track and field competitions around the world? Would this story have been dealt the way it is if it were a white person whose identity was questioned? Were liberties taken because the athlete was a black woman? I do not know the answer to these questions but they have to be asked.

Until the pundits have their facts straight, let us continue to celebrate with this wonderful young, gifted athletic woman who has made her country proud.