Ambiguity In Sports

Words: 1099
Pages: 5

We have come to an era where society celebrates women in sport, yet at the same time expects them to remain second rated. Nowadays, gender is somewhat a serious problem in athletic competitions. The issue of gender ambiguity has arisen more than once in the Olympic games. Restrictive sexual norms that position females as compliant and mainly linked with motherly roles like loving and caring for children, continue to disadvantage them in sports. This paper supports the idea that women who have sexual development disorders should not be disqualified from a game or denied participation as females and that gender testing should be abandoned. I believe that it is possible for women to reach high levels in sports when competing against men on equal …show more content…
The problem with this method is that testosterone levels can vary according to the time of day, social status, amount of athletic training, and a person's individual body (Jordan-Young and Karkazis). Testosterone has been questioned as a reliable means to determine a person's gender. Furthermore, testosterone has not conclusively been demonstrated to provide and unfair advantage in athletic competition. Research has shown that women whose tissues do not respond to testosterone at all are overrepresented among elite athletes (Jordan-Young and Karkazis). Men can have fluctuating testosterone levels, just the same as women, but they do not have to undergo testing (Jordan-Young and Karkazis). The philosophy behind sex testing is discriminatory in many ways, especially that women are the only ones who get tested. From a scientific standpoint, science does not support the validity of testosterone, or genetic testing as the sole determinant of gender. Furthermore, this eliminates certain groups from participation. Those who have had sex changes would not be able to compete under their new sex. In some cases, women prove themselves to be equal to and able to compete with men. Does this mean that they should not be able to compete against men? This type of sexual segregation supports the opinion that women are the "weaker" sex and cannot compete with …show more content…
Amanda Bynes stars in the movie as the main character, Viola Hastings, who is a high school soccer fanatic. One day, her team gets cut because there are not enough players in the team. The coach refuses to let the girls try out for the boys team, because girls “are not as fast as boys, or as strong, or as athletic. This is not me [coach] talking, this is scientific fact. Girls can’t beat boys. It’s as simple as that” (She’s the Man). Later, Viola devises a plan to impersonate her twin brother, Sebastian, and enrolls in Illyria to beat her school’s boys soccer team. Gender-based discrimination and stereotypes are portrayed throughout the movie accurately. As Viola, she is expected to stop liking soccer that much and start wearing dresses, acting more ladylike, and engaging in Debutante activities. However, as Sebastian, she has to walk like a guy, talk about girls, and perform well in soccer. Before displaying these manly attributes, “Sebastian” is considered uncool by the rest of the