Friday, September 11, 2009

Forgive Them, For They Know Not What They Do

I cannot imagine what Caster Semenya is going through right now. This is the South African woman who has been tearing up international track races in recent weeks. Medical tests confirm that she has an intersex condition. How can something so profoundly personal have been handled in such an insensitive manner by governing track authorities and the international media? Most people would go ape shit if you went through their laptop. This incident was an invasion of the most private parts of a person and yet countless people are trampling through her body like a pack of rabid dogs, on the Internet so that everyone in the world knows, for crying out loud. My heart aches for her.

I remember the time I told a "friend" about my HIV status when I had first found out. He was the only one who knew. A few weeks later, an acquaintance walked up to me in a club and asked if I was really HIV+. I felt so vulnerable and violated. I hate what happened to me that night because a part of me would never trust anyone in the world ever again.

Whatever happens to Caster Semenya, I hope she can find it in herself to overcome. And forgive.

8 comments:

dannie said...

something like that happened to me too, it sucks

J.T. said...

yes indeed... but you learn from it and hopefully become a bigger person.

dannie said...

yes you learn and hopefully not do it to other people :]

thwany said...

=(

OlyQueerKid said...

It always disgusts me when someone is drug through the dirt like that, whether it's because of their sex or gender, or their race or sexuality or anything like that. If there was one right that all peoples of the earth are entitled to it should be the right to privacy.

J.T. said...

you said that right!

Raven said...

Yeah, I really felt for her when I read this too. I hope she stays strong.

Btw, I really hate the media. They invade privacy without compunction.

pascale said...

what ugly things people can do... sigh.. I really feel sorry for her...