Runner Caster Semenya Wins Human Rights Court Appeal Against Testosterone Rules
TimeJUL 2023
The Spin
Narrative A
A man identifying as a woman is one thing, but Caster Semenya is a naturally-born woman who happens to have different hormone levels than her competition. It's clearly discriminatory to force a human being to medically alter their natural body to compete in artificial standards of the gender category they were born into. The ECHR made the absolutely correct ruling.
Narrative B
World Athletics simply wants to ensure that the majority of women are given a fair shot in competitions. Unfortunately for those with medically-verified differences in sex development (DSD), their testosterone levels can be so high they breach the average levels seen in men — most women cannot compete against such advantages. The rules from World Athletics may seem harsh but they're fair.
