Dwyane Wade talks about ‘The Dads’ premiere at SXSW
Dwyane Wade’s new documentary “The Dads,” which premiered at SXSW, chronicles the life of a father of transgender and gender-expansive children.
Olympic champion runner Caster Semenya on Sunday expressed disappointment with the International Olympic Committee and criticized IOC President Kirsty Coventry following the IOC’s recent decision to ban transgender athletes from competing in the Olympics.
The decision also limits female athletes like Semenya who have differences in sexual development, or medical conditions known as disorders of sexual development.
South Africa’s Semenya said she expected more from Zimbabwean Coventry after the women’s race, which was encouraged to celebrate female strength, unity and community support.
“Personally, I think she understands that as a leader she is African and we Africans are from the Global South and we cannot control our genes,” Semenya said at a March 29 press conference in Cape Town.
The IOC issued the ban on March 26, reversing a 2004 decision to allow transgender female athletes to participate.
To date, only one openly transgender woman has competed in the Olympics, a weightlifter from New Zealand, but she failed to make it past the opening round at the 2021 Tokyo Summer Games.
“When the science is clear, show us who made the decision. Don’t pretend it’s a lie, because it’s a lie and we know it because we saw it,” Semenya said. “So if we’re going to answer or confront Kirsty, that’s how we’re going to respond. And this is something that affects women, so we’re going to respond with raw strength.”
Semenya is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 800-meter race. Although she was assigned female at birth, she has testosterone levels higher than the typical female range. She has been banned from competing in major international competitions because she refused to take drugs that artificially lower her testosterone levels.
The new eligibility rules, which the IOC says will “protect the fairness, safety and integrity of the women’s category,” will begin at the Los Angeles Olympics in July 2028.
