Tuesday, September 22, 2009

I'm Just Gonna go Ahead and say This


By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter

This will be a rather crass post, so pardon me in advance.

As many of you know, Caster Semenya of South Africa was scrutinized for her gender ambiguity a few weeks ago. Tests concluded that she is kinda mixed gendered, and has 3 times the normal testosterone levels for women. Naturally, this as engendered a lot of question asking about whether she should be allowed to compete against women, should her accomplished be allowed to stand, etc.

Now that the bio is out of the way, my first question is: Is it wrong to think her name sounds like a bad porn about a casting couch game show maybe something like- "Cast or Semen ya! (Or Both)." I picture it like The Price is Right with a cheesy host who selects a non-virtuous woman from a crowd then, while he's bringing her onstage to meet the casting director he says to the lucky contestant "Ok, Dominique Perignon, if in fact that is your real name, let's if if the Director will...." then the crowd finishes his sentence in unison, "Cast....or Semen Ya!". Then the hosts shrugs his shoulders and says, "or both!" while the laugh track plays.

I also read that her gender was being formally questioned by track and field officials, so my other question is, how can she get a fair trial regarding her gender when her last name is "Semen ya?" Doesn't that kind of taint or lead the jury? Semenya, as in, "Jeez, Allison, if you wear that dress tonight all the guys are gonna want to semen ya". For a woman named Caster Semenya to get an objective jury would be like a guy named Archie Murdersya getting a fair homicide trial, or Angela Nabsyakid getting a fair kidnapping trial. * Imagine being a dude with this mixed-gender affliction and trying to convince people you are not a woman. Oh, and your last name is Lactatesya.

I bet she has this conversation 8 times a day.

"No trust me, I'm a woman."
"What's your last name, ma'am?"
"Semenya"
"Oh, so you think this funny, wise guy?"


I'm not saying it's ok to laugh at transgendered people, but I am saying, it's ok to laugh at their last name if it sounds like a crude sexual manuever.



*- I just learned that gender is determined by scientists and not in a court of law by a jury. But you can still imagine what it would be like.






That's how I roll.

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