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A need to intercede? The International Olympic Committee and intersexuality

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Abstract

If we look back at the origin of sports, we can see it begun as a purely male-centric activity. Speed, power, athleticism, tenacity, and perseverance were qualities attributable only to men. Over the years, and after a great deal of struggle, participation of women in various sports was acknowledged. The growing involvement of women in sports led to an essential binary sex-specific division, men’s and women’s category. With this background, a pertinent question is where do intersex individuals fit into the international sports system based on these sex categories. In the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) endeavor to protect the spirit of Olympism, the issue of intersex athletes has been dealt with disregard. Its policy related to sex verification tests over the years seems to be a flimsy one based on discrimination and misconceptions regarding the ethic of fair play. The IOC’s indurate stand against intersex athletes just to avoid gender ‘fraud’ seems like a weak defense; especially, since this minority class of the sporting society is in need of sensitization and empowerment.

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Notes

  1. http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/a-level-playing-field. Cambridge University Press.

  2. Buzuvis (2011).

  3. ibid.

  4. ibid.

  5. Griffin, Inclusion of transgender athletes by sports teams, available at http://www.transgenderlaw.org/resources/Griffinarticle.pdf.

  6. Tucker and Collins (2009).

  7. For the purpose of this article, intersex would not be including transgenders, transvestites, cross-dressers, or transsexuals; it only concerns itself with ‘intersexuals’.

  8. Available at http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/08/health/athletes-gender-testing/index.html.

  9. Kelly, Intersex: sociologists for women in society fact sheet 1 (2007), available at http://www.socwomen.org/socactivisni/intersexMarch2007.pdf.

  10. Peterson (2010–2011).

  11. Benson (2005).

  12. Samaranch (1995).

  13. ibid.

  14. Peterson; supra at 10.

  15. The Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Art. 30.

  16. International Olympic Committee, Olympic charter (2011), available at http://www.olympic.org/Documents/olympic_charter_en.pdf.

  17. ibid.

  18. ibid.

  19. Caille (1998).

  20. Ferris (1992).

  21. Buzuvis; supra at 2.

  22. . Fastiff (1992).

  23. Richie et al. (2008).

  24. O'Reilly, Gender testing in sport: a case for treatment?, BBC News, Feb.15 2010, available at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8511176.stm.

  25. Buzuvis, supra at 2.

  26. Pearlman (1995).

  27. Griffin; supra at 4.

  28. ibid.

  29. ibid.

  30. Olsen-Acre (2007).

  31. Reeser (2005).

  32. Sandel (2009).

  33. Hadhazy, What makes Michael Phelps so good?, available at http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=what-makes-michael-phelps-so-good.

  34. ibid.

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Correspondence to Samiha Dabholkar.

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Dabholkar, S. A need to intercede? The International Olympic Committee and intersexuality. Int Sports Law J 13, 55–59 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40318-013-0012-6

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