Caster Semenya on suicide watch
September 15th, 2009
South African runner Caster Semenya “is like a raped person”, following world-wide speculation about whether she is male or female, according to the chair of South Africa’s sports committee.
The 18-year-old is receiving round-the-clock care from psychologists amid fears that she may commit suicide.
Last week an Australian newspaper claimed to have seen the results of the International Association of Athletics Federation’s (IAAF) investigation into Semenya’s biological sex, which reportedly proved she was intersex and had both male and female sex organs.
The IAAF conducted the tests after complaints that Semenya was biologically male, following her gold medal win in the women’s 800m race at the World Athletics Championship.
Despite the newspaper leak, no official comment has yet been made about the outcome of the tests.
Semenya is struggling to come to terms with her “global humiliation”, said Athletics South Africa official Phiwe Mlangeni-Tsholetsane.
“Caster does not shy away from what is being said about her, but she finds the negative and intrusive parts very upsetting” said Mlangeni-Tsholetsane. “She is completely shattered by all that has been said about her.
“She is extremely fragile at the moment. The claims about her body over the past week have had a very damaging effect. She is only just an adult – she’s very young to have to cope with something like this.
“Reports last week of the so-called ‘leaked test results’ were very hard for her, but she wants to know what the world is saying so she read and watched it all.”
MP Butana Komphela, chair of South Africa’s sports committee expressed fears that the runner may try to take her own life.
“She is like a raped person,” said Komphela. “She is afraid of herself and does not want anyone near her. If she commits suicide, it will be on all our heads.
“The best we can do is protect her and look out for her during this trying time.”
South Africa’s minister for women, children and people with disabilities has filed an official complaint with the United Nations over how Semenya’s case was handled.
Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya told the UN there has been a “blatant disregard” for Semenya’s human dignity.
I wrote about Ms Semenya from an LGBT perspective here: “Stop Policing Caster Semenya’s Gender”
Shawn ∼ September 16th, 2009 3:23 amhttp://tinyurl.com/lc2hwn
What a real shame - my heart goes out to her. Human biology has ALWAYS been a determining factor in athletics competitions - are we now suggesting that people born particularly tall have an unfair advantage in high jump. The fact is that the girl is slightly different to us regular guys and girls and that is gonna make her life tough - I love the fact that these tests have also revealed to the poor girl that she’s never gonna be able to have kids - an nobody’s blinked. Living in a culture like hers she’s probably mortified the poor girl. Her gift, and that’s exactly what it is, gives her an advantage and she should take it.
Good luck to her and I hope to see her with many more medals.
Diana ∼ September 17th, 2009 5:01 pmShame on them all.. Let her be.
Maelea ∼ September 17th, 2009 7:04 pmI wouldn’t consider this a gift. The IAAF could decide to not let her compete anymore. The ITF/WTA Tour had a similar case recently - they did decide to let her keep competing though, but she underwent surgery and a medical procedure that got her biology as close to completely female as possible.
Jasmin ∼ October 4th, 2009 12:40 pmI am close to this issue, due to a loved one, and I find it absolutely heartbreaking for Caster. I’m not intersex myself, but I have had the priveledge of meeting several “out” IS people and I hope theh IS community can reach out to Caster at this time. Intersexuality isn’t freaky or weird, and shouldn’t be the subject of sensationalist press coverage, its just part of the normal, wonderful variety of human kind. The only reason people are being hysterical about it is that they want to squeeze reality into a box where there are only males and female, and where things like intersexulity and other variations of sex or gender don’t exist. Well as Caster shows, Nature isn’t as dualistic as ideologies would like to suggest.
Be well, Caster.
Anastasia ∼ October 4th, 2009 3:41 pm