Tag Archive for 'Kristen Worley'

OutSport Toronto Presents -Then And Now

OutSport Toronto Presents

Then And Now

In a joint collaboration with OutSport Toronto and Cave Painter Films, supported and funded by the Social Science and Humanities Resource Council of Canada. The documentary production was created for a Toronto District School Board Conference (TDSB) at the beginning of May 2012, to bring awareness, language and support to working professionals within the school system to assure greater support to young people who are currently being challenged with these issues, and trying to find their place in the school and athletic system.

Brought together 10 athletes, speaking about growing up with issues of sexuality and gender diversity and the impact and the important role sport has played individual in their lives.

I am just so proud of the all the individuals that had to courage to speak of their experience.

Watch Video Documentary – “Click Here”

Learn More About OutSport Toronto - “Click Here”

Published May 20th, 2012

April 4th, 2012 | CTV National News – Facing Gender Discrimination

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April 4th, 2012 | CTV National News – Facing Gender Discrimination

Facing gender discrimination
Following the Miss Universe Pagents’ decision to change their rules regarding gender, Cyclist Kristen Worley discusses how she faced similar discrimination within her own sport of high-performance cycling, claiming existing policies oppress the athlete.

Watch Full Interview – “Click Here”

Published April 4th, 2012

Dr. Eric Vilain (UCLA) “Grows a Conscience” – IOC’s 5th World Women’s Conference 2012

Dr. Eric Vilain (UCLA) “Grows a Conscience” – IOC’s 5th World Women’s Conference 2012

Los Angeles, February 18th, 2012 - Dr. Eric Vilain, MD, PhD, and Professor, Human Genetics, Pediatrics, Urology at the University of California, Los Angeles [UCLA], as well advisor to the International Medical Commission [IOC] regarding gender verification testing of female athletes, developing of the 2003 Stockholm Consensus and most recently by the highly controversial policy by the IOC Hyperandrogenism rule and NCAA’s gender inclusion policy this past September. Another example of an oppression tool (neither supported by factual science) of designed oppression of a women(s) endocrine system, which is illegal, immoral and in-fact medically unethical, positioning the NCAA in a place of future human rights violations with ANY future athletes that the NCAA attempt to us these policies and procedures against any athlete, and god-forbid they do. The lacking common sense, as it relates to human physiology, let alone laws surrounding human rights violations is profound of which NO RESEARCH was done.  Again only done hypothetically, of which science when done properly proves otherwise.

Rogge states in his open comments at the conference;

“We need more women leaders throughout the Olympic Movement, not only to prove our commitment to gender equality, but to take advantage of their brains, their energy and their creativity.”

Vilain invited by the IOC this past weekend in Los Angeles, to present at the IOC’s 5th World Women’s Conference where Vilian made a stunning confession saying;

“Women with disorders of sex development have no competitive advantage than any athlete with good genes”.

It seems Vilain has grown a conscience, recognizing the unfathomable impact of his work and colleagues on so many women over the last five decades of which he has been a participant over the last ten years, that has only had catastrophic impact directly onto female athletes, of which is well know behind the scenes. The development of gender verification testing and the Stockholm Consensus created and published by the IOC, admitted by IOC Medical Commission president Patrick Schamasch, to Canadian government and officials, Mianne Bagger and me on September 18th, 2006, that in-fact the IOC had never done the science and or research to support their current gender policies. It was all done on a hypothetical level. Of which, as science has proven the claims made by Vilain and the IOC as scientifically untrue.

This has been going on behind the scenes away from the public for several years. Vilain’s statements this weekend were NOT new news to those engaged behind the scenes, but the increased pressure on these individuals to tell the truth as in-fact these issues were only continuing to hurt and violate more women.

The most recent evidence, of such impact of a young South African woman of which policies led to severe human rights violations and a degree of humiliation so profound few words can describe, of which her “gender was never in question”, and everything about this incident, as one behind the scenes 99% of what was published was untrue. Though having life long implications for her and many women before her, and brought to the IOC’s attention by Canadian officials in 2006, that more then eight women had been impacted by these false policies since 1985, including a dear friend 800m runner from India Santhi Soundarajan. Who that following December at the Asian games was gender tested and violated. Her very identity thrown into suspicion, of her identity as a woman of which she was violated physically socially, her silver medal being take from her, placed into poverty, thus trying to take her life do to the global humiliation.

We are humiliating women… This is what the IOC is doing, creating false policy unsupported by factual science and data,  as now Vilain is trying now to denounce himself from, for his participation in these horrific policies designed to disempower and humiliate women, designed by men. Suggesting any association to competitive performance, where the mounting medical evidence accumulated over the last several years says otherwise.

Seen by many women and sport, leaders in sport in Canada, now educated about the issues of gender, are asking big questions of the IOC, Vilain and fellow colleagues, led by IOC Medical Commission Chair, Prof. Arne Ljungqvist who has the prolific designer and father of gender testing over the last five decades. Most recently in October 2011, in a joint presentation at the Play the Game conference, in Cologne Germany, speaking about the issues of gender in Olympic and International sport, made stunning comments on gender that by any standard and medical expertise of which he could not medically back.

The all too famous Ljungqvist comment, “Owe it is very difficult.” We can see from Ljungqvist’s response yes it is for him, as he known’s he has failed horribly and these comments are deliberate to avoid his accountability – and taken (50) years. As Canadian top ethics expert John Dalla Costa projected in a recent conference call with Sport Canada recently;

“With the mounting evidence, to suggest ignorance and not knowing, is no longer a viable answer…”

Thus Georg Facius (Denmark) in the same session with Ljungqvist and Canada’s own Dr. Bruce Kidd, Facius in his presentation requested for his immediate resignation from the IOC Medical Commission for the (5) decades for his incompetence, and impact this has had on so many women historically. Remarking “gender testing is a serious business” in his opening statements  further stating “The Major Medical Blunder of the 20th Century” and as Dr. Kidd noted, has only had “catastrophic impact on female athletes”.

Click Here For Full Video Presentation.

The concept of (2) pole sex society doesn’t exist in nature.  This is a man-made concept, as both Facius and Kidd spoke to in Cologne.  Too suggest otherwise is unethical. We are trying to force nature into man-made policy, instead of understanding nature and building policy around it.

“You are trying to fit a square peg into a round hole… Women specifically are getting terrorized and violated physically and socially because of it.”

What Vilain is declaring in LA this past weekend, that what has happen to so many women, Caster, Santhi, including me and dozens of others, should have never happened. Through their policies, which again were ONLY hypothetical, not backed by REAL science and has led to human rights violations carried out specifically on women. These have been declared “Tools of Oppression” on ALL women, as noted in the conference outcome report, parallels and is consistent the problems in sport, sport participation and leadership position within International sport and Olympic programming.

Outcome Results of LA Women’s Conference – The numbers are staggering but speaks to the reality of the OPPRESSION of women, and the “TOOLS” designed and measured to do just that.

What we are seeing is the “stereotype” of woman of which women are forced to fit into, which we do not do to men. Men it is an open field. Thus is you fall outside of Atypical socially definition accepted female; “look out we are going to get you and we will humiliate you…”, breaking ALL social, ethical laws and human rights. The sad part is too, the IOC they think can do this and feel they have a right to violate women, as IOC President on a conference  call with Canadian officials when asked about gender testing me in-fact as an athlete he replied, “I can do anything I want…”. Though as shocking as that was, in principal there lack of, through ignorance and perpetuating fear and “pinning women against women”, and suggesting competitive performance advantage, of which they cannot prove and never will be, focusing on the stereotype of “men overpowering women”, which again is not true by science and they know it. What they in-fact have been doing disempowering women and placing limits on us, not allowing women to appear strong bodied and become great female athletes. Again we allow this for men and not women.

This is a social problem, and was never an issue of physiology.

Vilain’s presentation though note worthy from the standpoint as a key figure and consultant to the IOC Medical Commission, his 180 degree turn that no longer as self-proclaimed experts who in-fact are NOT experts, and not in the pockets or friends of the IOC, the real evidence of which they have continued to try to oppress over the last several years, can no longer hide the past and in-fact now asking enormous ethical questions from a medical perspective of Vilain and others who participated in these programs of policy development with the IOC, on the basis if Human Rights and participation and safety in sport. These guys who term “themselves” as “experts” can no longer denied as the evidence and medical expertise, says otherwise.

It can only be assumed, Vilain is trying to distance himself from this history. Unfortunately, the athletes who have been violated by these policies did not have that choice and or protections. What Vilain and the IOC need to understand very clearly, that those who commit Human Rights Violations don’t get a free pass either. Admitting to what has happened is only the first step.

The knowledge Valain projected we’ve known for years… and have been well known within these circles. What the issues are now, is the accountability of those who have committed these crimes against women.

WE the women have paid a very dear price for it and this incompetence and we did not get a free pass. We got the constellation prize… Gender verification and full public humiliation and discrimination and our very identities tested and scrutinized globally… Vilain is looking for an OUT! Those violated didn’t get that option, why should the violators? Sic!

The shoe is now on the other foot and there is way too much evidence – the level of expertise is over powering, and it is important for the principals of sport and future of the Olympic Movement, that this dark history is identified, and be able to move beyond it, so no more women will be physically and socially humiliated and as Maria José Martínez-Patiño said, she felt “RAPED” in 1985. Which is a common expression by most of the women directly exposed, implicated, isolated and assaulted directly in these experiences.

THERE ARE NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE WHAT IT FEELS LIKE OTHER IT IS STEALING YOUR SOUL. WHO HAS THAT RIGHT?

WE ARE REAL HUMAN-BEINGS AND WOMEN BEHIND THESE WORDS… JUST LIKE YOU…

“We must stop the hurt now…” As I told IOC Medical Commission President Patrick Schamasch September 18th, 2006 by telephone, with Canadian sport leaders. “Someone will be killed if this is not stopped.”  Since this time, (8) more women have fallen that I have come to know unfortunately personally.


Published February 20th, 2012

Dr. Claire Sullivan – Nov. 2011 – Gender Verification and Gender Policies in Elite Sport : Eligibility and ”Fair Play”.


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Dr. Claire Sullivan – Nov. 2011 – Gender Verification and Gender Policies in Elite Sport : Eligibility and ”Fair Play”.
November 2011
Journal of Sport and Social Issues 2011 35: 400 originally published online 15
Claire F. Sullivan

Abstract
Sex-segregated sports require governing bodies to clearly and accurately place
athletes in two categories, one labeled “men” and the other labeled “women.”
Sports governing bodies such as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and
International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) used sex testing procedures
to attempt to verify the sex of athletes competing in women’s events. In 2004, the IOC introduced the Stockholm Consensus to regulate the inclusion of, primarily, male-to-female transsexual athletes, to compete at the Olympic Games. These governing bodies, and others, are dealing with society’s basic categorization of humans and thus are entangled in attempts to scientifically and medically define sex. This article will focus on the history and implications of gender-verification testing and gender policy on notions of “fair play” and athlete eligibility.

Download Complete Document – “Click Here”

Published February 12, 2012

Play the Game 2011 – Gender Session – IOC Medical Chair deemed “Incompetent” after 50 years of the “failure” of gender testing and policy. Asked to step down immediately!

Play the Game 2011 – Gender Session – IOC Medical Chair deemed “Incompetent” after 50 years of the “failure” of gender testing and policy. Asked to step down immediately!

Monday October 3rd, 2011 organizers of Play the Game during a week long conference  titled; “Bring Change to the heart of Sport” with leading delegates and experts converging on Cologne Germany, at the University of Cologne to discuss issues impacting international and Olympic sport programming. From issues of anti-doping, sport gambling, organizational corruption and issues of gender and human rights.

On Wednesday, the session titled; “Little Difference, Huge Impact: The Gender Challenge to Sport” began the day. Led by a joint key note presentation from Prof. Arne Ljungqvist, International Olympic Committee [IOC] Chairman – father of gender testing and policy. Presenting in direct parallel with Ljungqvist was Danish Georg Facius, IAAF Technical Official and key official and expert of both the EAA’s Anti-doping and Competition Committees.

Upon conclusion of Facius ground breaking presentation which he states; “All along through most of these 50 years Arne Ljungquist has been the man with the overall and main responsibility for gender testing, firstly within IAAF and now within the IOC, and it is beyond me how he himself, with his history, can continue in charge of this, and as chairman of the IOC medical commission, and how on top of 50 years of failure, he can be allowed to do so, by the responsible bodies. I can only urge him to have the decency to step down.”

Georg Facius complete  presentation titled; “Trying to Verify The “Proper” Gender of Athletes”

Later that afternoon, Canadian Dr. Bruce Kidd, O.C., PhD. and Olympian in mens athletics presented in parallel to Georg Facius earlier keynote presentation with Ljungqvist, titled; “For gender self-declaration”. Kidd, speaks about “Misdiagnosis”, saying; “The Challenge is NOT “intersex” or atypically athletes. But a social problem resulting from reassertion of moral physiology, fear/demonization of difference and patriarchal control of sport.”
Going further to suggest that there is
“so much variation among humans” from “body composition and biochemistry, household and community resources, especially access to bio-medical technology and sport sciences, cultural norms of which are all related to competitive performance.”

Kidd suggests, “The Olympic Movement “celebrates humanity” in all its diversity, why single out this area of difference?” And that, “Self-identify is fundamental to human rights and the ideal of self-expression that is the basis of Olympic sport.” Then asking the fundamental question, “How can the Olympic Movement, which encourages and affirms the right of self-expression through sport, deny the right of self-identity to some humans?”

Upon conclusion, Dr. Kidd profoundly states; “By elevating the results of performance to be the determining metric of the Olympic Movement, the new gender verification requirements further marginalize the educational and intercultural goals of Coubertin, ” the “chill of surveillance culture is heightened.”

Thus stating, as did Facius in his earlier presentation stated; “The IOC must abolish the targeted ‘gender investigation’ once and for all.” Going one step further giving recommendations as next steps, removing the IOC from making such decisions that effect all sport as it pertains to gender, and that; “Academics, policy makers and journalists contribute to this effort, especially the deconstruction of gender and the furtherance of inclusive language.” and move towards; “The Olympic Movement and the broad sport community re-invigorate their efforts to empower women, especially at the level of leadership.” and; “As much as possible, school and community sport be re-organized on the basis of athletic ability, rather than gender.”

Published October 2011

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(6) Key Supporting References -
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NYTimes – April 24th, 2011 – Redefining the Sexes in Unequal Terms

Author: Prof. Alice Dreger, clinical medical humanities and bioethics.

Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. Chicago, Illinois, USA.
For Full Article “Click Here”

Transgender Student-Athletes and Sex-Segregated Sport: Developing Policies of Inclusion for Intercollegiate and Interscholastic Athletics

Erin Buzuvis
Western New England College School of Law – July 20, 2010

Download Complete Research Document “PDF” CLICK HERE

Volume 9 Issue 6 – June 2011 World Sports Law Report
Eligibility: The IAAF hyperandrogenism regulations and discrimination
Author: Shawn Crincoli – Associate Professor of Law

Touro College, New York, USA.
For Full Article “Click Here”

Volume 9 Issue 4 – April 2011 World Sports Law Report
IAAF: hyperandrogenism rules are challenge proof
Author: Andy Brown [WSLR], UK.
For Full Article “Click Here”

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Lancet 2005; 366: S38 María José Martínez-Patiño
Personal Account A woman tried and tested

“As I was about to enter the January, 1986, national championships, I was
told to feign an injury and to withdraw from racing quietly, graciously, and
permanently. I refused. When I crossed the line first in the 60m hurdles, my
story was leaked to the press. I was expelled from our athletes’ residence, my
sports scholarship was revoked, and my running times were erased from my
country’s athletics records. I felt ashamed and embarrassed. I lost friends, my
fiancé, hope, and energy. But I knew that I was a woman, and that my genetic
difference gave me no unfair physical advantage. I could hardly pretend to be
a man; I have breasts and a vagina. I never cheated. I fought my
disqualification.”

Download Full Review “Click Here”

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An approach to the biological, historical and psychological repercussions of gender verification in top level competitions

Martínez-Patiño et al. / Gender verification in top level competitions JOURNAL OF HUMAN SPORT & EXERCISE – VOLUME 5 | ISSUE 3 | 2010 |

MARÍA JOSÉ MARTÍNEZ-PATIÑO1, COVADONGA MATEOS-PADORNO2, AURORA MARTÍNEZ-VIDAL3, ANA MARÍA SÁNCHEZ MOSQUERA1, JOSÉ LUIS GARCÍA SOIDÁN1, MARÍA DEL PINO DÍAZ PEREIRA3, CARLOS FRANCISCO TOURIÑO GONZÁLEZ1
1Faculty of Science Education and Sport, University of Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain.
2Department of Physical Education, University of Las Palmas, Campus Universitario de Tafira, Spain
3Special Didactics Department. Faculty of Science Education. University of Vigo. Orense, Spain

Download Complete Review “Click Here”

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Published September 2011

CIS in no rush to mirror NCAA transgender policy Canadian athletic community meets NCAA policy with mixed responses

CIS in no rush to mirror NCAA transgender policy
Canadian athletic community meets NCAA policy with mixed responses


By Kevin Menz — The Sheaf (University of Saskatchewan)

SASKATOON (CUP) — The National Collegiate Athletic Association recently adopted a new policy for transgender athletes, but Canadian Interuniversity Sport and many other Canadian athletic associations are in no rush to do the same.

The NCAA’s policy states that any athlete who has testosterone in their system as the result of medical treatment cannot compete on a women’s team. If a male is transitioning or has transitioned to a female, the athlete can compete on a women’s team if they provide documentation showing that they have undergone testosterone suppression treatment for one full year.

Goto Full Article  - “Click Here”

Published September 2011

The Gazette – Savinova edges Semenya for 800m title – Today’s results illustrates the IOC’s historic threat to women’s sports…

The Gazette – Savinova edges Semenya for 800m title
Agence France-Presse September 4, 2011 8:12 AM

Mariya Savinova of Russia (L) celebrates winning the women’s 800 metres final with second-placed Caster Semenya of South Africa at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Daegu September 4, 2011.
Photograph by: Kim Kyung-Hoon, Reuters

Daegu, South Korea, Sept 4, 2011 (AFP) – Russian Mariya Savinova rained on Caster Semenya’s parade on Sunday, nipping past the controversial South African for world gold in the women’s 800m. Reigning world indoor and European champion Savinova timed her run to perfection, coming from near the back of the pack at 600m to clinch the victory in 1min 55.87sec.

Read Full Article: “Click Here”
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COMMENT:
Today’s results illustrates the IOC’s historic threat to womens sports.

Congratulations to both Mariya and Caster…. These results speak loud and strengthens the resolve as the “projected” controversy around gender testing, Stockholm Consensus and the new Hyperandrogenism Rule is not an athlete problem, but solely the IOC and IAAF problem, in-fact who are the “controversy”. A social science problem at the highest level of international sport on how WOMEN ARE SEEN AS ATHLETES AND THEIR ABILITIES TO PERFORM WELL.

Important to note, Mariya’s finishing time today in Daegu today was 1:55.87, which she ran at  last years Worlds 2010 1:57.56. Caster’s winning time at 2009 World’s in Berlin 1:55.45. Caster’s second place time today was clocked at 1:57.42.

Three more women running sub 1:58.00 today…. Savinova 2009 Worlds time, 1:58.68, almost (3) seconds slower than what she ran today. Moreover, looking at the 2009, 2010 and 2011 results, a significant improvement by overall women’s speed which is absolutely fantastic! The women’s 800m contingency was in a lull for many years -

*Important to note Mariya dominated the 2011 season in the 800m. Fabulous to see these incredible women run, breathing new life and interest in the 800m event, which has been stagnant for a very long-time.

Are the IOC and IAAF now going to find a fault in Mariya’s gifted physiology and design a policy around her ability to compete, and disable her and take away from her ability to run well?  I am waiting to see the policy that comes out on Usain Bolt (“Lightening Bolt” policy for men who run to fast), and his complete and expected domination and paid millions to do so, over every 100m and 200m male runner in the field, to find fault to slow him down to create fairness with other male competitors in the top elite men. Bolt marketed by BOTH the IAAF and IOC earning millions of dollars as a major financial draw at the box office ticket sales,and putting a heartbeat of public and financial interest back into Athletics over the last several years.

It seems though, women don’t qualify  and are not deemed in the same genre or pursuit as men, when we do incredible world class performances, in-fact penalized for it.  The big question is “Why?”.

In the end and reflecting to sport leaders and international colleagues, I am very pleased with the women’s results and the scale of improvement in the women’s 800m.

Today you don’t see the IAAF/IOC running out “forcing” and invasive and illegal gender test on Mariya as she was the ONLY woman that ran into 1:55.00 (she looks feminine enough that’s why…), as in 2009 Caster was forced into a situation for an outstanding performance of which has become common place with Usain Bolt. Of which when he does not perform, we question “what’s going on with him making a big deal out of a false start that no other athlete had a problem with on the 100m final start-line”, expecting him to perform. As Usain said in an interview with the CBC in Daegu just after his 200m win, “I came today to do it for the fans… to show them I am the best.”

When a women does it, she becomes a controversy – thus is gender tested, which proves nothing and seen as a “tool of oppression”. Where women now feeling fear to perform well as a woman, you will be gender tested, a highlighting threat put upon women’s performance. Thus projects, “if you do not look feminine enough and perform well, we’ll get you…”

Why is it men get that chance and women do not? When women do it, they are then punished so inhumanely for it. Raped psychologically and physically (without consent or knowledge), humiliated globally, and many time leading to attempted suicide, alienation and poverty. If that is not enough, sport and media together making as if the athlete deserves it and in-fact have a right to do it. Ironically there is no repercussions to those who have created such hideous harm.

Todays results clearly illustrates the situation well. The suggested “CONTROVERSY” that has been weighing over young Caster that she has had to wear and so many athletes in the past is NOT THE ATHLETES, BUT THE IOC AND FALSE POLICIES such as gender testing, Stockholm Consensus and now Hyperandrogenism Rule which have been purposely designed to oppress and mislead international sport around women’s performance,  which has only led to the most CATASTROPHIC IMPACT to women, women’s sport in modern sport history. Used as “tools of oppression” not to protect women, but to control and oppress women from performing well in their given sport. Solely do to projected ignorance and human rights violations by the IOC towards women.

Caster like all the other women impacted by gender testing over 4 decades, gender was never in question… The IOC/IAAF done in such an adhoc manner, spent 11 months trying to figure out if they did the right thing or not. Had nothing to do with in-fact with Caster, other than her having to wear their mistakes so publicly and affecting her eligibility to compete in 2010. It had all to do about them.

99% of what was reported in the media was untrue…

The IOC is the “CONTROVERSY” and the biggest threat to women’s development and participation in sport at all levels, not Caster and or any other female athletes, as Mariya handily proved today and the other female runners in the field closely behind Mariya and Caster. The IOC is the problem, FULL STOP…

The courage it has taken Caster and many other women who have fallen to these practices and harmful policies, are profound. A courage only deserving of an Olympic gold medal, that is inconceivable, and the passion for sport and the will to be included and be your very best. Something the IOC and IAAF, have faltered over the last many years deceiving and misleading the public, media and international sports system of the truths and true impact these horrific polices and practices, have catastrophically ruined so many women’s lives.

Well Done Ladies…. WOMEN ARE GREAT ATHLETES TOO IOC!!
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(5) Key Supporting References -

NOTICE
The Court of Arbitration for Sport [CAS] in Lausanne Switzerland, has approved jurisdiction to enable us to file legal case: “Human Rights and the Oppression of Women’s Gender in International Sport” to be issued by Kristen Worley (Canada) Cycling and Mianne Bagger (Denmark) Golf  v/International Olympic Committee [IOC].

Volume 9 Issue 6 – June 2011 World Sports Law Report
Eligibility: The IAAF hyperandrogenism regulations and discrimination
Author: Shawn Crincoli – Associate Professor of Law

Touro College, New York, USA.
For Full Article “Click Here”

Volume 9 Issue 4 – April 2011 World Sports Law Report
IAAF: hyperandrogenism rules are challenge proof
Author: Andy Brown [WSLR], UK.
For Full Article “Click Here”

NYTimes – April 24th, 2011 – Redefining the Sexes in Unequal Terms

Author: Prof. Alice Dreger, clinical medical humanities and bioethics.

Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. Chicago, Illinois, USA.
For Full Article “Click Here”

AthletesCAN (CANADA) Canadian Olympian Nikki Dryden – Featured Article: “Hey International Olympic Committee – Your words are not enough”

The following article was written by Nikki Dryden, retired national team athlete and two-time Olympian.

For Full Article on the AthletesCAN website “Click Here”

Also can be found on the Women in Sport International Blog “Click Here”

Published September 2011

NOTICE: The Court of Arbitration for Sport [CAS] approves jurisdiction – to file legal case: “Human Rights and the Oppression of Women’s Gender in International Sport”

NOTICE
The Court of Arbitration for Sport [CAS] in Lausanne Switzerland, has approved jurisdiction to enable us to file legal case: “Human Rights and the Oppression of Women’s Gender in International Sport” to be issued by Kristen Worley (Canada) Cycling and Mianne Bagger (Denmark) Golf  v/International Olympic Committee [IOC].
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Three (3) Key Recent References:

Volume 9 Issue 6 – June 2011 World Sports Law Report
Eligibility: The IAAF hyperandrogenism regulations and discrimination
Author: Shawn Crincoli – Associate Professor of Law

Touro College, New York, USA.
For Full Article “Click Here”

Volume 9 Issue 4 – April 2011 World Sports Law Report
IAAF: hyperandrogenism rules are challenge proof
Author: Andy Brown [WSLR], UK.
For Full Article “Click Here”

NYTimes – April 24th, 2011 – Redefining the Sexes in Unequal Terms

Author: Prof. Alice Dreger, clinical medical humanities and bioethics.

Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. Chicago, Illinois, USA.
For Full Article “Click Here”

Published July 2011

A Brilliant Lecture – Dr. Alice Dreger: Is anatomy destiny?

A Brilliant Lecture – Dr. Alice Dreger: Is anatomy destiny?

Alice Dreger works with people at the edge of anatomy, such as conjoined twins and intersexed people. In her observation, it’s often a fuzzy line between male and female, among other anatomical distinctions. Which brings up a huge question: Why do we let our anatomy determine our fate?

Alice Dreger studies history and anatomy, and acts as a patient advocate.

Alice Dreger is a professor of clinical medical humanities and bioethics at the Feinberg School of Medicine of Northwestern University in Chicago. She describes her focus as “social justice work in medicine and science” through research, writing, speaking and advocacy.

Goto Full Lecture: “Click Here”

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NY Times ESSAY – Sports
Redefining the Sexes in Unequal Terms
April 23, 2011

Published June 12th, 2011

PLAY THE GAME 2011 Programme Committee 2011 confirms today, Inclusion First Foundation presentation “Little Difference, Huge Impact: The Gender Challenge to Sport” – October 3-6th. Cologne Germany

PLAY THE GAME 2011 Programme Committee confirms today, Inclusion First Foundation presentation “Little Difference, Huge Impact: The Gender Challenge to Sport” – October 3-6th. Cologne Germany.

This could not have been received at a better time.  I received confirmation early this morning from the organizers from Play The Game in Denmark, that I have been approved by the Programme Committee to present on behalf of our new foundation.

Play The Game  Conference 2011 - “Bringing change to the heart of sport.”

For the seventh time Play the Game will gather stakeholders in sport to join the discussion on essential issues in world sport at the world communication conference Play the Game 2011 – bringing change to the heart of sport.

The conference offers a unique forum for dialogue on sport. Over 13 years and six world conferences, Play the Game has become the only international forum where leading stakeholders meet face-to-face in free and fact-based debates about the most important challenges to modern sport.

For Further Details about Play the Game“Click Here”

For Further Details about Inclusion First Foundation: “Click Here”


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Published June 10th, 1011
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WORLD SPORTS LAW REPORT(UK) Volume 9/Issue 4 April 2011 – IAAF: hyperandrogenism rules are challenge proof

Volume 9 Issue 4 April 2011

IAAF: hyperandrogenism rules are challenge proof

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) is confident that its rules on the eligibility of females with hyperandrogenism will withstand legal challenge when they are published on 1 May. Hyperandrogenism is a medical condition involving excessive production of hormones (androgens) such as testosterone.

Guidelines published by the International Olympic Committee on 5 April and the IAAF rules allow a female with hyperandrogenism to compete in women’s events ‘provided that she has androgen levels below the male range (measured by testosterone levels in serum)’. “We have received good feedback from lawyers and human rights experts”, said an IAAF spokesperson. “It is the only way to deal with this issue from a medical point of view. If we don’t have rules on this, we will also face legal challenge from other female athletes.”

Kristen Worley, founder of the Coalition of Athletes for Inclusion in Sport, questioned basing eligibility rules on androgen levels. It flies in the face of the overwhelming evidence of the tremendous hormonal variability among humans”, she said. “This sets up many other young people for the devastating treatment that Caster Semenya experienced.”

Both the IAAF and IOC also dismissed concerns that by making an athlete who fails a hyperandrogenism test ineligible, they are posing a threat to their privacy. ‘A female athlete who declines, fails or refuses to comply with the eligibility determination process under the regulations shall not be eligible to compete in women’s competition’, read a 14 April IAAF release. Both the IAAF and IOC said there had been similar cases in the past that had been kept private. “Early detection for example under the Athlete Biological Passport will eliminate this issue”, said an IAAF spokesperson.

The IOC’s hyperandrogenism rules are scheduled for approval at the 123rd IOC Session in Durban, 1-9 July. “Once all athletes have their own biological passports, a case would be identified by abnormal hormone levels”, said an IOC spokesperson. “Since it may take some years for biological passports to become fully applicable, we will rely on the following mechanisms to trigger an androgen investigation: (i) the athlete may have symptoms that make her consult her team doctor; (ii) a pre-participation health examination may reveal there is a problem; (iii) a suspicion may arise in the doping control station; or (iv) a doping control analysis may reveal an abnormal hormone pattern”.

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Published May 2011

Frost Illustrated – Sports body to reject ‘I know it when I see it’ standard for women

Frost Illustrated
Sports body to reject ‘I know it when I see it’ standard for women

May 4th 2011

“The International Olympic Committee and the International Association of Athletics Federations have a new policy to deal with athletes whose sex development is unusual.

The bad news is that the new policy appears biased and sexist which, critics worry, could trickle down to school-based sports. Players will be tested for testosterone and women with high levels will be excluded from games while men will not.”

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Other Reference
NYTimes April 24th, 2011 – Redefining the Sexes in Unequal Terms
Prof. Alice Dreger, clinical medical humanities and bioethics.
Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University.

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Published April 4th, 2011

NY Times April 23rd, 2011 Sports – ESSAY – Redefining the Sexes in Unequal Terms

This article  is a reflection of Canada’s commitment and leadership to diversity, social ethics and inclusion. In April, we convened in Ottawa as a select panel, hosted by the Canadian Centre of Ethics in Sport.  Unanimously condemning gender testing and the Stockholm Consensus despite the sorry history of which they were designed too medicalize women and the definition of womanhood, taking expression of embodied gender identity out of the very hands of the very humans involved , and setting up many other young people for the devastating treatment that Caster Semenya experienced. Moreover, it flies in the face of the overwhelming evidence of the tremendous homonal variability among humans.

NY Times ESSAY – Sports
Redefining the Sexes in Unequal Terms

April 23, 2011

The good news is that the International Olympic Committee and the International Association of Athletics Federations, the governing body for track and field, have worked hard to come up with a new policy to deal with athletes whose sex development is unusual.

Although sports officials contend that this reworking is not a specific response to the fiasco surrounding the South African runner Caster Semenya, what happened to Semenya constitutes reason enough to seek reform. Surely no athlete should learn from watching television, as Semenya did, that her sex has been called in question on the international stage. And no athletes should have to face the previous patchwork policy on sex testing, wondering what will happen if their particular condition is not clearly explained in the rules.

The new policy no longer allows any room for a simplistic “I know it when I see it” approach to who counts as a female athlete. Women who test in the male range for functional testosterone will have to have their levels chemically squashed in order to play. (Functional testosterone means not just the amount the body makes, but also how the body responds to it, because some people’s cells lack receptors to respond.)

The bad news is that the new policy seems sexist in its philosophy. Indeed, it is so sexist that it may even count as a violation of Title IX, which will matter because the international policies will undoubtedly trickle down to school-based sports.

The hormones in question are not naturally exclusive to men. Women and men naturally make androgens — sometimes called strength-building hormones — including testosterone.

Yet despite the fact that testosterone belongs to women, too, the I.O.C. and the I.A.A.F. are basically saying it is really a manly thing: “You can have functional testosterone, but if you make too much, you’re out of the game because you’re not a real woman.”

To my knowledge, there is no equivalent of this biochemical policing in men’s sports. If a man has a mutation that gives him a big advantage — say he makes lots of testosterone — he can count that as a natural advantage. Indeed, at least now, men and women are allowed all other advantageous biochemical mutations.

The idea behind this policy is to make a move toward creating the mythical level playing field. But what is really being leveled here is the bodies of female athletes. Thus the game being played seems to be a kind of controlling who will count as a sexually appropriate woman: submit to being made sexually “normal” through hormone treatments or you cannot compete.

The I.O.C. and the track federation would probably say that the typical man’s functional testosterone level is orders of magnitude higher than the typical woman’s. True enough, but the same large variations could be true for other naturally occurring differences between classes of athletes, and yet it is only women who are being limited in terms of natural biochemical advantage.

At a meeting hosted by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport last week in Ottawa, a group of us mulled over this problem. We were all sympathetic to the I.O.C. and I.A.A.F.’s struggle. Sports has surely grown up past the age of sexual innocence, but it has not found its way. There is no perfect solution, one that is reasonably objective, universally applicable and universally satisfying.

Yet this newly proposed biological reduction of women to a hormonally disadvantaged class of people — one medically made disadvantaged, if necessary — struck many of us as regressive from the standpoint of women’s rights. Indeed, it reminds me of those itty-bitty shorts that college women’s volleyball players must wear. They each sexualize the bodies of female athletes as a requirement of play. They each insist that a woman never be manly.

In Ottawa, I met the former Olympian Bruce Kidd, a leader in international sports policy who served for nearly two decades as the dean of the faculty of physical education and health at the University of Toronto.

In a follow-up e-mail correspondence, he wrote: “How can the I.O.C. and I.A.A.F. claim that they support the full inclusion of women when they reimpose a medical test for their very identity? It’s a huge setback for human rights and the integrity of the Olympic movement.”

Alice Dreger is a professor of clinical medical humanities and bioethics at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University.

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Published April 26, 2011

IOC Press Release – IOC addresses eligibility of female athletes with hyperandrogenism – Adopts the Coalition of Athletes for Inclusion in Sport Recommendations.

IOC Press Release – IOC addresses eligibility of female athletes with hyperandrogenism – Adopts the Coalition of Athletes for Inclusion in Sport (CAIS) Recommendations.

The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) today confirmed the need to set up clear rules to determine the eligibility of female athletes with hperandrogenism in female competitions, starting with the Olympic Games in London next year.

“Important to Note: This statement by the IOC is a public omission that “gender testing” of female athletes was never needed. Many athletes in the last several years so physically and publicly violated (human rights/discrimination) by gender testing which proves nothing, could have been so simply dealt with as simply as a blood test within the anti-doping model.”

IOC Coalition of Athletes for Inclusion in Sport (CAIS) Recommendations:
For Full Document Release: “Click Here”

Coalition of Athletes for Inclusion in Sport (CAIS) Recommendations:
The Guiding Principles for Inclusion in Sport “Click Here”

An incredible moment (6) years of hard work and amazing support from experts around the world and support of Canadian Sport leaders made it possible.  We will never see one more athlete in modern sport history receive such harm by failed policy as it pertains to ones individual diversity and or identity.

Published April 5th, 2011