Women Issues

I happened to hear a piece on the radio about 18 year old champion runner, Caster Semenya. Officials were concerned about her recent athletic win, not because of drugs, but because (and these were the words of the BBC) a possible 'genetic anomaly'; ehm, she might not be female. Hhhmmmmm. Apparently they have to run 'tests' - lengthy, strict tests - to ascertain if she is in fact a woman. Her being in a women's race and all. Hhhhhmmmmmm. Speaking myself as a genetic anomaly (not female) I have on occasion thought of the efficacy of some such test for determining if some supposed 'ladies' are indeed what they claim to be, but by and large I have found it sufficient to resort to tried and tested methods. In this case though, I'm not sure what I find most distressing; the fact that the officials have such tests or that they need to resort to them in so public and humiliating a way. Isn't it just a little cruel? Not to mention absurd? My mother always taught me to be courteous to women. I suppose the athletics officials might claim their question begs their behaviour.