Caster Semenya, the track star at the center of an international controversy over gender, has appeared in a photo glamour shoot in her native South Africa. The 18-year-old Semenya appears in a four-page feature in You, featured on the cover in a tight black dress and necklace with the headline "Wow, Look at Caster Now."
Caster says she likes the look, too: "I'd like to dress up more often and wear dresses but I never get the chance. I am who I am and I'm proud of myself."
"Nothing Semenya has done in the past month has suggested that she likes to wear dresses, get manicures and let down her hair. After the controversy broke, she kept her cornrows, wore baggy clothes and pounded her chest in victory like a college football cornerback. When she returned to her hometown, she was dressed the same way. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. That seemed to be Semenya's natural inclination. This feels forced.
Hopefully I'm wrong. But if Semenya was pressured to do this to silence her critics, then this is a sad story rather than one of retribution. The opinions of a few jealous coaches shouldn't have an effect on how an 18-year old carries herself. If Semenya wants to wear dresses then she should. But if she wants to run around in track suits, what's the problem with that?
In other news: South African national track coach Wilfred Daniels has resigned. The coach now admits he should have told Semenya in July that she was to undergo gender verification tests—not tests for doping violations.
The IAAF confirms the results of the complex gender tests will be known in the next two weeks, but would only be released after consultation with Semenya.
Embattled Track Star Gets New Look [Yahoo Sports]
Coach Resigns in Gender Case [NYT]
I can only imagine how humiliating this must be for her. I'm sure she's dealt with this type of thing while growing up "different", then being thrown into the national spotlight and having to deal with those same high schoolish rumors. I feel bad for her.
Posted by: Osiris | 09 September 2009 at 15:17
OSIRIS!
YOU ARE SO RIGHT. My heart aches for a world that is so ugly and vehement about forcing people into images and such, when the Bible says we shall not bear false witness. THIS IS NOT WHO SHE IS OR HAS EVER BEEN AND TO STUFF INTO SOMEONE ELSE'S IMAGE IS A MESS AND A FALSE WITNESS TO HER TRUTH!
Lord, so many people screaming about Heaven and Right and Tradition and Proper will not get in because they are not living or loving from an authentic place.
Posted by: TheRevKev | 09 September 2009 at 15:45
Right on RevKev! God don't make mistakes!
Posted by: DW Jazzlover | 09 September 2009 at 15:58
You are all correct.
Posted by: Ravenback | 09 September 2009 at 17:17
I hope the world now feels better about itself now that Caster has had a "proper lady" make-over...ugh. Why can't she just be left to who she is?
Posted by: LaurynX | 09 September 2009 at 21:29