Sexism, Gender, & Normalcy

Author Ariel Levy tackles the controversial issue surrounding Semenya Caster, in “Either/Or: Sports, Sex and the Case of Caster Semenya”. Once South African Olympic runner , Caster, had begun to gain success, rumors had circulated that she was actually a boy, with these rumors greatly affecting her life. This piece goes deeper than just this controversial issue, as Levy elaborates on the issues of sexism in sports, the concept of gender and normalcy. 

Ariel Levy addresses the issue of sexism in sports in this piece. Firstly, throughout this piece, Levy explains the opinions of many people that believe that Caster has an unfair advantage, as an olympic runner, with the increased level of testosterone. Levy counters that by bringing up highly regarded athlete, Micheal Phelps, who “has unusually long arms and is said to have double-jointed elbows, knees, and ankles” (page 125). No one ever critiques these extreme advantages. On the other hand, as soon as people saw some abnormalities with Caster they “emailed the International Association of Athletics Federations… with their doubts'' (page 115).  By bringing up these facts, it seems that Levy is insinuating that there is a clear double standard between talented male and female athletes. Secondly, throughout this piece, Levy brings up the fact that Caster has repeatedly been taken advantage of. This can clearly be seen with the array of gender tests that have had to be done. Through a series of quotes involved, it can be determined that these tests are extremely invasive and demeaning, often done without complete consent. One quote that Levy includes is from Caster’s mother, “They acted like thieves. They did whatever they wanted to do with our child without informing us.” (page 120). This quote definitely provokes a lot of emotion, and shows how little say Caster is able to have over her body. Levy also emphasizes that this isn’t a single issue, by mentioning the story of Maria Patiño, who was a Spanish hurdler that had to undergo gender testing before competing in a race. No man has to go through a series of tests in order to prove their gender and no man is questioned if their abilities are legitimate once they reach success. 

Ariel Levy also brings up the issue of gender and how to classify it. Levy explains that the heated debate of Semenya Caster has brought about confusion on how to divide people up in sports. Should it be by men and women, or should it be by athletic ability? There is no clear answer for this. This issue can then go beyond sports, as “We depend on gender to make sense of sexuality, society, and ourselves. We do not wish to see it dissolve.” (page 125), according to Levy. This then raises the question of what exactly is normal. It seems that in this piece, both Levy and the people she has interviewed are trying to make sense of this and the responses vary. Some fellow runners believe that Semenya is a man and should not compete, or skeptics going as far as calling her an “it”. On the other hand, we hear from Funeka Soldaat, who is also intersex, and believes that Caster is very much valid. This has brought about a whole whirlwind of debate and questioning, yet we barely hear from Caster. Every person is trying to form their opinion on the topic, without taking into account the effect that this may have on Caster herself. 

Even in this piece, the true opinions and feelings of her are not truly discussed personally till the end, and even then, we are only invited into a glimpse of that. When Levy finally meets Caster, it is pretty brief, as Caster explains that she can longer talk to anybody about her feelings. She further explains that not talking anymore is not necessarily a bad thing. With all this in mind, Caster is a clear example of a single story. This single story is dangerous, as it has clearly been a focal point of Caster’s life, affecting her personally and with her career.