TO:

International Olympic Committee (IOC) PO Box 356 1007 Lausanne Switzerland January 23, 2010

Dear Members of the I.O.C., My name is Colette Johnson and I am a student at the University of Washington in Seattle WA, currently studying Medical Anthropology and Global Health as well as Human Rights. I am writing to you in response to an article I read in The New York Times on January 20th entitled I.O.C. Panel Calls for Treatment in Sex Ambiguity Cases, as reported by Gina Kolata. I wish to inform you of my serious objection to the conclusions formed by the panel and I ask that you take the time to reconsider this issue. My primary objection to the conclusions of the panel refers to the language and implications of classifying those with intersex conditions as having a medical disorder that must be diagnosed and treated. While sexual ambiguity or intersexuality is certainly less common than the sexual assignment of most individuals, it does not need to be labeled a disorder. The word disorder contains connotations of malignancy or unhealthiness and that is not necessarily the case with intersexed people. Intersexuality is a natural function of human genetic variability. In the case of Caster Semenya, for example, her increased testosterone levels are a boon rather than a deficiency since they privilege her to a supremely healthy athletic lifestyle as a runner (in conjunction, of course, with much training and determination). Rather than stigmatizing her for her genetic differences by labeling her condition a disorder in need of treatment, Semenya should be congratulated for her fortitude and contributions to the sport. Athletes such as Shaquille ONeal or Michael Phelps are admired for the genetic abnormalities in height or arm length that give them advantages over their competitors. We do not endorse invasive medical treatments to strip these men of their advantages and force them to look and compete more like normal human beings. So why does the I.O.C. advocate this in the case of intersexed individuals like Semenya? Rather than find fault in the bodies of intersexed people and attempt to mold them to fit our narrowly conceived notion of what constitutes sex or gender, perhaps people in the Committee and society as a whole ought to instead change their way of thinking about biological and social difference. Globally, we have come a long way in the world of sports by incorporating people of many nations, genders, creeds, and socioeconomic statuses. I urge the Committee to take this opportunity to find a better way to also incorporate intersexuality as a natural part of human biodiversity. In place of forcing sexually ambiguous persons to undergo medically unnecessary treatment in order to compete, I hope the Committee will consider finding a way for

intersexed people to compete in the bodies that nature gave them. While I am far from an expert on these issues, some reasonable alternatives I have read about and think ought to be considered might include: dividing competitors into groups based upon specific hormonal levels rather than by sex; dividing competitors into groups based upon a predetermined algorithm or formula that designates their sex; allowing competitors to self-identify their sex; or holding a third competition in each sport category for intersexed individuals. Athletes like Caster Semenya provide the international community with a stunning example of how surprising and inspiring biological difference can be. Semenya was born with a natural gift and it is my hope that she can continue to compete and develop that gift in the body given to her by nature. The world of sports will be much poorer without her and other people like her. I thank you for your reconsideration of this issue. I look forward to positive change and I hope that progress is not impeded by prejudice or intolerance on the part of the Committee or its affiliates. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Colette Johnson Seattle, Washington United States