2 Chapter Two: Playing with Gender
Section One: The Fundamentals
A) History and Context
Exercise 1: Notebook Prompt
| While listening to the podcast “Episode Three: Card-carrying Females”, there were a few aspects of women’s sports and its regulations that surprised me, and were completely new to me. Firstly, prior to this module and episode, I did not know that in professional sports women were required to undergo sex-testing. From what I learned in the episode, sex-testing can involve blood work, physical inspection and examination of body parts, chromosomal testing (Barr body test), and hormonal testing. Combined, women must meet specific criteria in order to be defined as “woman-enough” to compete in the women’s category for sports. Hearing Maximila Imali’s story about the discrimination and sexism she faced whilst undergoing this testing was truly saddening to hear but important to know. The differences between women and men undergoing sports is inequitable and unfair, leaving women in vulnerable, frightening, and stressful situations where they must undress in front of a physician to prove they are women. Furthermore, it discriminates against women with naturally higher levels of testosterone- such as Maximila, which prohibits and limits them from competing in their sport professionally. These practices are harmful for these women, as it invalidates the gender identity that many have aligned with since birth. It places a disconnect between the gender experiences they have had their entire life and a scale of how “womanly” they are based on biological differences. Furthermore, as they are going through the debate of their sex-at-birth, they become subject to both social and athletic scrutiny which can feel like a gender-policing situation- where everyone accept their own self holds the capacity to define their gender and what it means for their athletic career. Despite the many different elements of what it means to be female, and what it means to be a successful athlete, sex-testing nit-picks over a strict and narrow set of criteria that women must meet in order to be considered a true woman and a fair athlete. This is discriminatory in multiple ways as it can discriminate against women who may have health conditions impacting their hormonal levels (especially conditions that affect estrogen and testosterone levels naturally). This is something that happened to Maximila and forced her to step down from competing in the 2018 Olympic games. Furthermore, its a double-standard and discriminates against women. Where men can be accepted on the basis of their athletic performance, woman no matter how excellent they are in their athletic abilities always had to prove their womanhood to medical and athletic representatives. The entire process is un-dignifying and humiliating for women, and may subject them to unnecessary stress, depression, and more.
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B) Timeline of History
Exercise 2: Notebook Prompt
What other significant case/milestone would you