The recent case of South African runner Caster Semenya has brought to light the issue of how best to mark the differences between the sexes, particularly when current tests reveal conflicting gender indicators. If you can get past Dave Fahrenthold's awkward lede graphs (the only thing missing is a reference to the "leaving-the-toilet-seat-up gene"), The Washington Post has a nice overview of the history of "gender verification" in sports that also delves deeper into how the blurry line between male and female -- more common than you might expect -- affects other aspects of life, such as infertility struggles (imagine finding out you're having trouble conceiving because of that pesky Y chromosome you didn't know you had), obtaining legal documents and marriage. As for poor "Dora" Ratjen, who could have POSSIBLY seen
that coming? (Read the article
HERE.)
The recent case of South African runner Caster Semenya has brought to light the issue of how best to mark the differences between the sexes, particularly when current tests reveal conflicting gender indicators. If you can get past Dave Fahrenthold's awkward lede graphs (the only thing missing is a reference to the "leaving-the-toilet-seat-up gene"), The Washington Post has a nice overview of the history of "gender verification" in sports that also delves deeper into how the blurry line between male and female -- more common than you might expect -- affects other aspects of life, such as infertility struggles (imagine finding out you're having trouble conceiving because of that pesky Y chromosome you didn't know you had), obtaining legal documents and marriage. As for poor "Dora" Ratjen, who could have POSSIBLY seen that coming? (Read the article HERE.)
1 comment:
I THINK WHAT I LOVE THE MOST ABOUT THIS POST IS THAT LADY GAGA'S AD IS RIGHT NEXT TO IT.
COINCIDENCE? YOU BE THE JUDGE....
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