"Justice for Santhi Soundarajan and Caster Semenya!" - Hermaphrodites rally against IOC and IAAF, 19.11.09

>>> "Hermaphrodites" in sports: IOC and IAAF deny responsibility

>>> Open Letter to IOC      >>> Background Report      >>> Stop Genital Surgery

IOC-Rally, Lausanne, Nov. 19, 2009 (Photo: Ärger)

Human Rights for Hermaphrodites too!Zwischengeschlecht.org Press Release, 16.11.2009:

The human rights advocacy group Zwischengeschlecht.org will protest against the inhumane and demeaning treatment of athletes suspected of being "hermaphrodites" in Lausanne, Switzerland, in front of the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), next Thursday, 19th of November, at 09:00 hours.

The repeated violations of the dignity of suspected "hermaphrodite" athletes Santhi Soundarajan (India) and Caster Semenya (South Africa) highlight an unsolved problem of international sports associations, namely of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

Despite of being aware of the issues related for some decades, IOC and IAAF, up to now they failed to finally determine and implement transparent, fair and internationally binding ground rules concerning the participation of hermaphrodite / intersexed athletes in games and tournaments, nevertheless doing so with reasonable consultation of the people concerned and their organisations.

Justice for Santhi Soundarajan, Caster Semenya and countless others!

The victims of these failures of the sports associations are the athletes singled out by often inapted and intransparent "sex tests". These athletes are treated like cheaters and impostors by the sports associations, and subsequently are excluded from further competition without due process, are forced to undergo often harming surgeries, and have their livelihoods and reputations destroyed by confidential medical information deliberately leaked to the media. Another particularly unsavoury aspect: Athletes from "developing countries" seem to be treated especially inconsiderately.

Zwischengeschlecht.org will protest against the irresponsible treatment of (suspected) hermaphrodite athletes in front of the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Lausanne, Switzerland, and will deliver an Open Letter to the IOC as well as to the IAAF, on Thursday 19th of November 2009, from 09:00 hours.

The human rights advocacy group Zwischengeschlecht.org demands the prohibition of forced genital surgeries on intersexed people and "Human Rights for Hermaphrodites too!"

>>> Background Report on Discrimination of Hermaphrodites in Sports
>>>
Open Letter to IOC Chief Jacques Rogge Re: Treatment of Intersex Athletes 
>>> "Hermaphrodites" in sports: IOC and IAAF deny responsibility
 

(FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty)

Kind regards

n e l l a
Daniela Truffer
Founding Member Zwischengeschlecht.org
Founding Member Schweizerische Selbsthilfegruppe Intersex.ch
Member Intersexuelle Menschen e.V.
Member XY-Frauen
Mobile: +41 (0) 76 398 06 50
Email: presse_at_zwischengeschlecht_dot_info

Published on Monday, November 16 2009 by Zwischengeschlecht.org