It's a brave new world for sport and they're failing to deal with it. The easy option seems to be their only option.
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The International Association of Athletics Federations is the latest governing body to drop the metaphorical ball. With an assist from their friends at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
![South Africa's Caster Semenya is being forced to take drugs to be allowed to compete. Picture: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein South Africa's Caster Semenya is being forced to take drugs to be allowed to compete. Picture: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/fdcx/doc755skpx2txe1ivornlh4.jpg/r0_0_3496_2758_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
But they're not the only ones who are struggling to deal with the modern world of sexuality and all it entails.
The AFL stuck its head in the sand in regards to transgender athlete Hannah Mouncey - who is allowed to represent Australia in handball, but not allowed to play in the AFLW - in 2017 and is yet to come up for air.
Not to be outdone, Rugby Australia followed suit when it comes to dealing with religion and homosexuality.
Yep, what do you do with a problem like Israel? Re-sign him and cross your fingers.
What has happened to Caster Semenya is an abomination and everyone involved in forcing her, and other female athletes like her, to take drugs to be allowed to compete should hang their heads in shame.
For those late to the party, the crux of the matter is Semenya - the world's best female 800-metre runner - has naturally occurring levels of testosterone. Naturally occurring.
The IAAF claim - via their own study, which proved what they set out to prove and has been widely discredited - those high levels of testosterone give her an unfair advantage over her fellow competitors.
Apparently, it's only in a small range of women's running events that just happen to be the ones Semenya competes in that this advantage exists in.
This comes after a decade of the authorities hounding Semenya and trying to drive her out of the sport.
![The AFL stuck their head in the sand and waited for transgender player Hannah Mouncey to go away. Picture: Darrian Traynor The AFL stuck their head in the sand and waited for transgender player Hannah Mouncey to go away. Picture: Darrian Traynor](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/fdcx/doc711o4l160erhiycbcnw.jpg/r0_173_3383_2255_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
She's been forced to prove she's a woman through testing in 2009. Having passed that, it's taken the authorities a decade to finally get their woman.
She'll now have to take medication to lower her testosterone to allegedly make it fair for her competitors.
The only problem is that medication can't just lower her down to the same level as other women. It will wipe it out completely.
By the IAAF's own reasoning, that then gives all of Semenya's competitors an unfair advantage and they should then be forced to take the same medication.
It is about fairness after all. Isn't it Sebastian Coe? (He's the IAAF president leading the charge against Semenya, I mean, for fairness.)
And down the rabbit hole we go.
Used to fighting her own fight, Semenya took the IAAF's regulations to CAS on the grounds of discrimination.
These are regulations that seem to target one athlete. Who happens to be a woman. Who happens to be black. Who happens to be from an African nation.
Sexism. Racism. Seems to be the hint of discrimination there.
![Rugby Australia decided it was too hard to tackle Israel Folau a year ago. Picture: AP Photo/Rick Rycroft Rugby Australia decided it was too hard to tackle Israel Folau a year ago. Picture: AP Photo/Rick Rycroft](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/fdcx/doc7563kcn4llslznmxdyp.jpg/r0_0_2280_1621_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The mind boggling thing is, CAS agreed. Yep, definitely discrimination. And then they threw her appeal out. Apparently, the only way to be fair is to discriminate.
You need to discriminate to ensure everyone competes on a level playing field. Otherwise, women will have to compete against men and they'll never win anything. Or so they said.
So rather than risk that, it's better just to kick Semenya out. She's only one person after all.
And she's a woman. And she's black. And she's from South Africa.
Only one of those words is important though. It's one Coe and his IAAF cronies, along with CAS, have conveniently overlooked.
Woman. Semenya. Is. A. Woman. The fact she has naturally occurring higher levels of testosterone than other women is irrelevant.
(I have naturally occurring lower levels of hair on my head. How come you're not helping me out Sebastian?)
She should be allowed to compete as a woman. Given she is one after all. Simples.
Just as Mouncey is a woman. Just as the IAAF have blown it, so did the AFL before them. They took an even easier option. They put their head in the sand and waited for the problem to go away.
You'd think a billion-dollar industry like the AFL could come up with something better than an idea straight out of kindergarten.
Mouncey isn't playing in the VFLW this year - the second-tier women's competition in Victoria - instead she's focussing on playing handball for Australia.
And the world championships. All of which will keep her busy. But I desperately hope after that she'll be back chasing her football dream.
She wanted to go in the AFLW draft back in 2017, only for the AFL to say it was all too hard and not let her. We're approaching two years later and they still have not made a decision.
Apparently, the only way to be fair is to discriminate.
Now I'll admit transgender issues aren't easy. But still, with all their money and all their allegedly great football minds you'd think they could come up with something.
Although it has worked. Just like it worked in kindergarten.
It hasn't worked that well for Rugby Australia though.
On Saturday morning, as you open up your Canberrra Times, they'll be locked in a hearing with Israel Folau due to the latter's social media posts condemning homosexuals - and others - to hell. Despite being warned a year ago not to do it again. Yes again.
This time last year Rugby Australia took the easy option when they re-signed Folau. On a four-year deal. Reportedly worth $4 million. Instead, they could've just said, "So long Izzie and thanks for all the fish."
But they were worried. Thought he might go to rugby league, where ironically he'd now be someone else's problem.
But that would've been the hard decision. And that's not the way we do things around here.