Gender, Sex, Discrimination and International Sport: Caster Semenya v. IAAF

Attorneys Jim Bunting and Carlos Sayao, lead counsel for Caster Semenya, along with cultural anthropologist and consultant on Semenya’s legal team, Dr. Katrina Karkazis, discuss the impact of the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) eligibility regulations. These regulations bar certain women athletes, such as Semenya, with differences of sex development (DSDs) and naturally occurring high levels of testosterone from competing in middle distance races (400, 800, mile, and 1600) unless they reduce their testosterone levels through medication or surgery. Ms. Semenya and a number of women from the Global South, including the Gold, Silver, and Bronze medalists in the 800 meters in the 2016 Olympics, are now prohibited from competing as professionals. The panelists will discuss the regulations, their impact on women’s sports, and the racial and gender norms that play into the promulgation of these regulations.

Moderator:
Jonathan Waldauer, Co-Chair, Minorities in the Profession Committee

Speakers:
Jim Bunting, Founder, Tyr LLP
Katrina Karkazis, PhD, Senior Research Fellow, Global Health Justice Partnership at Yale University
Carlos Sayao, Tyr LLP

Sponsoring Association Committee:
Minorities in the Profession Committee, Johan Tatoy & Jonathan Waldauer, Co-Chairs

Co-sponsoring Association Committee:
Bioethical Issues Committee, Alan Jeffrey Brudner, Chair
International Human Rights Committee, Lauren Melkus, Chair
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Rights Committee, Noah E. Lewis & Geoffrey L. Wertime, Co-Chairs
Sex & Law Committee, Mirah E. Curzer & Melissa S. Lee, Co-Chairs
Sports Law Committee, Karen Hoffman Lent & David Sussman, Co-Chairs

Sponsoring Firms:
O’Melveny & Myers LLP
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP