Gender again

Remember Caster Semenya?

I can never forget her as I was so incensed at how badly she was treated  by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)

You see, although Caster was born a girl and grew up as a woman, she had a  problem with the IAAF, as she is black.

And that gave the IAAF the authority to embarrass her internationally.

For the benefit of those too young to know about her, she was  the reigning Olympic champion in the women’s 800-meter in 2018. That’s when the IAAF, required that some female runners whose bodies produce high levels of testosterone, must take medication to lower those levels.

No, during the many years when very muscular female German and Russian Olympic participants were regular champions, the IAAF did not have a problem.

However Caster, a South African, became subject to constant scrutiny. As Wikipedia reports “her fellow athletes speculated about her anatomy, misgendered her, and argued that she shouldn’t be allowed to race against other women. Her career is a reminder that when people challenge perceived ideas about masculinity and femininity, their bodies can become fodder for public discussion — often against their will. The issue seemed to be that Semenya appeared masculine to some observers, and that she was fast.

Semenya went on to win gold in Berlin, but she was also subjected to a battery of tests by the IAAF designed to determine whether she should be allowed to race as a woman. The testing was leaked to the press, (my emphasis) and Semenya’s body was analyzed relentlessly by armchair gender experts around the world, as Ruth Padawer reported at the New York Times.

 The truth is, although Caster was born a girl and grew up as a woman, she had a higher testosterone level than other women and for years, as she was black, she was not only publicly dissected by the media, the Olympic Committee but also even stripped of medals she won in women’s events!

I cannot but remain angry about what was done to this black south African who did nothing to her body, when I see the nonsense taking place in the USA.

For the latest fad is that persons born male, change their gender yet are allowed to participate in female events and with their well-developed muscles, they are naturally winning.

No arguments, no testosterone treatment, nothing as they are white.

I am certainly not homophobic, and anything people want to do with their bodies is fine.

But when it affects others disproportionately, its a problem.

So, I am firmly with the Republicans on this issue. For they, on April 20^th, tabled and passed a bill called; “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act” which the Democrats voted against!

I cannot believe the Democrats have become so insensitive, as report after report shows that men who transition to women are making a mockery of female sports.

And it is dangerous too.

For just this week, a female volleyball player in North Carolina suffered a concussion and neck injury during a game when a trans athlete threw the ball into her face.

Caster Semenya was born a woman.

These modern-day pretenders who are demanding to play and win in women’s sports were born men. Its just not the same thing and I agree with the republicans that they should form their own trans league and not be allowed to participate in female sports.

What next?

There was an lady recently on Dr. Phil who was demanding that they term “mom and dad” be removed from the dictionary, as it was discriminatory!

Her argument? She is a lesbian and along with her partner she has a daughter who is feeling uncomfortable at school when the term is used, as she has a mom and mom!

This may sound hilarious, but as a social trend, it’s no joke.

 

 

Aid agencies and Africa

 There are so many ignorant people in this world that when you mention Africa, most think it’s a country, not a continent with 54 independent countries. 

Like on every continent, you will find a few countries at war causing thousands of its citizens to become refugees. Other countries on each continent have corrupt leaders, so the country is in dire straits and a few face other problems which severely affect thousands of its citizens.

So, Africa is not the only continent where you will find people living in severe poverty, which is what the western media always portrays.

You really can’t blame the media totally though, as for decades, Aid agencies like UNICEF, Red Cross etc, in their quest to get funds, have used the most terrible pictures of human suffering to paint a picture of Africa.

I have been to sections of 4 countries in Africa so far, and yes there is poverty and suffering, but you can find such images anywhere, including the rich USA.

What traveling to Africa has made me realize however, is how damaging the campaigns the Aid agencies have been using, are the entire continent.

 For it is their images of suffering which the media often portrays as the norm.

On the other hand, rarely do you see mention of how technically advanced and progressive countries such as Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa etc, are.

And did you know that in numerous regions throughout Africa, money is now virtually useless, as everyone at every level only use their phones for all  financial transactions?

They are way ahead of the west in this technology!

How many people know that Africa is home to the world’s oldest university?

Yes, there are pockets in Africa where without the help of Aid agencies, life would be intolerable for thousands of people but we also need to recognize that many so-called Aid agencies are just money making entities for greedy companies, countries and individuals anyway!

My beef is that rarely do you see the natural beauty of places on the continent being portrayed or hear news about how educationally/technologically developed some places are, 

And over the decades, some writers have even tried to move Egypt out of Africa, to maintain the propaganda about the non achievement/development of black people.

While I won’t go as far as saying all Aid agencies are working hand in hand with white supremacies to paint a picture of Africa as the Dark Continent or even made up of shit house countries, there has to be a better way of helping those who need it without maligning the entire continent!😡