A couple of weeks ago, my family went out for dinner at a local pub-style restaurant. We waited awhile, were seated at a big high-top table that used to be an old wooden bar, and started to peruse the menu. It took my little siblings all of about five seconds to realize that there was a gigantic television hanging on the wall right next to our table. It was the second to last day of the Rio Olympics, so we had some lovely dinner conversation during the commercial breaks. While we looked at the menu, while we waited for our food, and while we ate it, we sat (mostly) in silence, watching athletes do incredible things. It was a lovely evening spent observing disciplined humans perform on national television while we stuffed our faces with burgers and fries.
One of the events that aired that night was the Women’s 800 Meters. After interviews and background on the athletes, they finally ran. As the runners evened out, they ran in a pack with one a few feet ahead and one a few feet behind. They rounded the track, and as they neared the finish, the almost-gold-medalist began to pass the others. About eight seconds before the finish, the medalist pushed into first place and finished the race over a second before the silver medalist did. Caster Semenya from South Africa won the gold medal and set the South African record for the women’s 800 meter.
A few days later, I found a replay of the race on YouTube. The winner’s finish struck me as such a surprising burst of energy right at the end that I wanted to see it again. I did a little more research on Caster Semenya and discovered that Caster was born as a man. Now, please don’t misunderstand my intentions here. This is not an article meant to look down on any individual competing in the Olympics, or even those who are LGBT+ and who spend Saturday nights eating burgers and fries like the rest of us. I don’t want to discriminate, and to be honest, I’m not even entirely sure what I think of transgender men and women participating in the Olympics. I don’t think there’s a safe answer here from any perspective.
I know that there’s so much involved in this topic, and there have been several cases and situations dealing with it, but I’m interested in what others have to say. I’ve heard plenty of people discuss the topic as a whole, some support those who are transgender, and some don’t, but no one talks about specific situations like this. As I watched Semenya win the gold, I noticed the gap widening between first and second place. I haven’t looked for or noticed the differences in other sports, but the 800 meter really made me think. Now before you accuse me of being misinformed, I do know that Semenya was born with both male and female reproductive organs, so yes, this particular case isn't one involving a transgender athlete, but the issue still remains. I wonder if those who strive for equality find it equal for anyone who has a male body (even a partially male body) to compete against females?
The tables turn the other way, too. Chris Mosier became the first openly trans athlete to join a U.S. Olympic team in 2016 by competing in the men’s sprint duathlon. Keelin Godsey publicly identifies as a man but competes as a woman in track and field sports. If you do believe that it’s fair and equal for a woman born as a man to compete against other women, do you also believe the opposite? Our world works so hard towards equality, but the reality of the situation is that men’s bodies and women’s bodies are different. Yes, people should be treated as people, and we shouldn’t discriminate based on gender, but men and women are still different. It’s not a bad kind of different, and equality is an honorable goal. Biology only allows for so much equality, though, and I’m at a loss for how these races were fair. No amount of estrogen or testosterone can totally even the playing field. The only way to make things totally fair is for everyone, male, female, or otherwise, is for them to all compete against each other. There are no men's sports or women's sports. That way everyone is included and all are treated with as much equality as possible. Maybe that's the answer that today's culture is looking for, I really don't know.
Like I’ve already said, I’m not trying to be offensive or discriminate. It’ll probably come across that way, but if you’re upset by what I’m asking, then so be it. I really do wonder what the general opinion is on this subject, though. I have a feeling that there isn’t one since this is such a specific topic, but if you haven’t thought about this yet, I challenge you to consider it and weigh your thoughts. Talk to others, debate your opinions. Ask the hard questions, and once you’ve decided what you think, don’t stop talking about it. Subjects like this one are the ones that will teach you to think for yourself, and that’s a skill that Americans are losing quickly.
