Podcast rec: Tested
Jan. 28th, 2025 10:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alchemicinkAround the time of the Olympics last year, a podcast on NPR's website caught my attention. It was called "Tested" and it detailed the history of sex testing in sports. I thought that subject might be interesting and informative to learn more about (because, you know, the Olympics were happening), so I stashed the link away for when I had time to listen.
And then promptly forgot about it for several months 😅
Anyway, I've finally listened to the six-episode series earlier this month, and I think it was worth the time.
The series, which was produced by CBC and NPR, is hosted by journalist Rose Eveleth. During the podcast, they detail the history of sex testing in sports (particularly in track & field), how it's only ever focused on women, and then also shares the stories of athletes affected by these regulations.
I really enjoyed listening to this series, even if the subject matter made me angry on behalf of these athletes and the way they've been treated. At every turn, it felt like there were rich old white men calling the shots without regard to how any women involved felt. (If you don't want to listen to six episodes about thinly-veiled misogyny in sports, perhaps this is not the podcast for you.)
Despite the righteous indignation I felt, I also just enjoyed learning so much more about the history of dividing sports by gender. It was clear that Eveleth had spent a lot of time and effort thoroughly researching the subject matter at hand. (They even mention a few times that their research had been in the works for about a decade.) I was horrified and shocked to learn that there was a brief time in the 1960s, for example, where officials literally made women strip before events to check that they were all had the correct lady parts. I was also surprised to learn that there was a period of time when women athletes were issued a card that verified they were a woman (if they passed the test at that time), and they had to carry those cards with them to all competitions. Men, of course, never had to worry with such a thing.
Today, the testing is based on testosterone levels. And if those levels are higher than the average woman, then the athletes have to make changes to their body (with medication or surgery to lower their naturally-occuring high levels) or simply quit competing. The governing officials who put these rules in place say it's only to ensure the competition is "fair."
These people don't consider how this may be unfair to the affected athletes.
It was fascinating to see all the changes over time. And every time it seemed like society might have moved past the ridiculous need to do these things, the people in charge came up with new rules. One step forward, a hundred steps back.
(For the record, I'm generally of the opinion that more sports should have men and women competing together instead of separately. But I know I'm in the minority on that here. And the podcast doesn't take a stance on this either way.)
Though mentioned a few times, the podcast doesn't really deal with trans athletes in sports. It's focused on people who are assigned female at birth and continue to identify as female. But many of the women most affected by these rules found out along the way that they're actually intersex (or, as the athletics organization calls them: people with "differences in sex development"). I personally think our society ought to be more informed about what intersex is, so I appreciated being able to learn more through listening to this podcast. (As a sidenote, I don't ever remember learning about intersex people when I was in school. In truth, I learned about the term and what it meant from a Japanese drama I watched in college, which generally is not the best way to learn about human biology.)
Back when the Olympics were happening in August last year, I vaguely remember seeing some people on social media mention that sex testing -- meant in those discussions to refer to "catching" trans athletes -- also negatively affects afab women as well. I was curious what they meant by that, but after listening to this podcast, I definitely know the answer now.
Overall, I would recommend this podcast if you want to be more informed about these kinds of policies that try to enforce the gender binary and how that affects the people in question. This issue has gone on for decades and I doubt it'll go away any time soon. And I think it never hurts to learn as much as you can about anything you can.
You can listen to all six episodes here.
And then promptly forgot about it for several months 😅
Anyway, I've finally listened to the six-episode series earlier this month, and I think it was worth the time.
The series, which was produced by CBC and NPR, is hosted by journalist Rose Eveleth. During the podcast, they detail the history of sex testing in sports (particularly in track & field), how it's only ever focused on women, and then also shares the stories of athletes affected by these regulations.
I really enjoyed listening to this series, even if the subject matter made me angry on behalf of these athletes and the way they've been treated. At every turn, it felt like there were rich old white men calling the shots without regard to how any women involved felt. (If you don't want to listen to six episodes about thinly-veiled misogyny in sports, perhaps this is not the podcast for you.)
Despite the righteous indignation I felt, I also just enjoyed learning so much more about the history of dividing sports by gender. It was clear that Eveleth had spent a lot of time and effort thoroughly researching the subject matter at hand. (They even mention a few times that their research had been in the works for about a decade.) I was horrified and shocked to learn that there was a brief time in the 1960s, for example, where officials literally made women strip before events to check that they were all had the correct lady parts. I was also surprised to learn that there was a period of time when women athletes were issued a card that verified they were a woman (if they passed the test at that time), and they had to carry those cards with them to all competitions. Men, of course, never had to worry with such a thing.
Today, the testing is based on testosterone levels. And if those levels are higher than the average woman, then the athletes have to make changes to their body (with medication or surgery to lower their naturally-occuring high levels) or simply quit competing. The governing officials who put these rules in place say it's only to ensure the competition is "fair."
These people don't consider how this may be unfair to the affected athletes.
It was fascinating to see all the changes over time. And every time it seemed like society might have moved past the ridiculous need to do these things, the people in charge came up with new rules. One step forward, a hundred steps back.
(For the record, I'm generally of the opinion that more sports should have men and women competing together instead of separately. But I know I'm in the minority on that here. And the podcast doesn't take a stance on this either way.)
Though mentioned a few times, the podcast doesn't really deal with trans athletes in sports. It's focused on people who are assigned female at birth and continue to identify as female. But many of the women most affected by these rules found out along the way that they're actually intersex (or, as the athletics organization calls them: people with "differences in sex development"). I personally think our society ought to be more informed about what intersex is, so I appreciated being able to learn more through listening to this podcast. (As a sidenote, I don't ever remember learning about intersex people when I was in school. In truth, I learned about the term and what it meant from a Japanese drama I watched in college, which generally is not the best way to learn about human biology.)
Back when the Olympics were happening in August last year, I vaguely remember seeing some people on social media mention that sex testing -- meant in those discussions to refer to "catching" trans athletes -- also negatively affects afab women as well. I was curious what they meant by that, but after listening to this podcast, I definitely know the answer now.
Overall, I would recommend this podcast if you want to be more informed about these kinds of policies that try to enforce the gender binary and how that affects the people in question. This issue has gone on for decades and I doubt it'll go away any time soon. And I think it never hurts to learn as much as you can about anything you can.
You can listen to all six episodes here.
