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Question:

Is Caster Semenya a man or a woman? How does not having baby making machinery enable someone to be faster?

I'm pretty disturbed about this whole deal. So she doesn't have certain female components.. does that make her a man? Is that why she ran so much faster than everyone else in Berlin? Are men really that much faster than women? Do you think she knew?

Answer:

Face it, estrogen's only redeeming value is to make a woman look supple and moist and give her reproductive capabilities. It's a real drag otherwise. So, she was born a hermaphrodite, so what, the more power to her. More women should be so lucky. Too many people in the world anyway especially in Africa where she comes from. Obviously, she has a lot more testosterone floating through her veins than estrogen. Just because she doesn't have octo-mom capabilities, everyone is on her case. She just happens to have all the ingredients to be what she is and that is a no-hands down world class champion. I suppose they could try to clone her LOL!!!!
First and foremost, you referred to a baby as it, that is a human being. I understand that both men and women are adults and have to take responsibility, however child support is only half of the amount the child needs. The care-taker whether it is the mother or father still provides their half too. All expenses are NOT paid by that one parent. I cannot fathom how someone would rather allow their own flesh and blood to struggle without their half of parenting. If you don't want to be a parent, then strap up. Some people love their money so much, that they'd abandon their own offspring because of it. On the other hand, some men feel they aren't ready... that's your call! However, these women who date them will just need to accept that. We can't change them. We are supposed to be more civilized than the animal kingdom and at times I believe they are far more connected than we are. YES! Some women should keep their legs closed and choose their mates wisely... IF you don't know how, my advice is watch animal planet and learn how our subordinates do it.
Other answers have been pretty comprehensive on the endocrinology. Sex identity is so complex these days! To your two questions (based on news reports, only, so caveat emptor!): 1. Caster is a mix of male and female components, physiologically and hormonally. 2. Whilst she does not have ovaries, this in and of itself does not directly make her faster. Having internal testes does, as answered by a number of your answerers. The *Physical* layout of her hips - less broad than other women based on her hip-to-waist ratio - does give her an advantage, in terms of energy efficiency and having her hip-femur closer to directly under her center of gravity. Most women have a sway in their walk, because their hips are wider (to accommodate the birth canal - is that part of the baby making machinery?), making their gait less efficient. Caster does not have that much of one, given her narrower hips. The question from a physical point of view, though, is not how much narrower Caster's hips are from the general populace, but if her hips are significantly narrower than the field of runners that she competes against. When does narrower become too narrow, too masculine?
But it's not the fact that she can't have children that makes her a question mark for her events. It's the fact that she has the chemistry of a man competing against women. It's not about one being more worthy over the other. It's the fact that testosterone makes you more able to build muscle and run quicker. It's a competetive advantage. However you look at it, I feel sorry for her having it drug into the public setting like it has been.
I'm also highly disturbed by the way this poor young lady is being treated and see this as a huge injustice. But to answer your question, it's not the reproductive organs which are the issue, frankly. The reason that this is an issue is because there is a positive correlation between circulating serum testosterone (male hormone) levels and muscle strength, twitch, muscle endurance and many other components that we're not even familiar with but which have a very serious impact on one's ability to perform well. This is not to say that women cannot be good runners, but if a man entered a female running competition, it would give this athlete an unfair advantage. The hormonal factors that affect athletic performance are, indeed, critical determinants of what an athlete is capable of achieving. I want to stress that I am disgusted by the way this is being handled in the case of this young lady, but I just wanted to comment on why a male would have an unfair advantage in such a competition. I do believe that this athlete should keep the medal since there is no sex testing that goes on prior to events, thus no athlete should be singled out for not appearing like they ought to in the opinion of the people who run the event. I'm of the opinion that in such events, men and women should be allowed to compete on the same track, thus it would make the gender of the athlete irrelevant. May peace be upon you.

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