Even as Asian gold medallist Pinky Pramanik’s gender is under the lens and the rape allegation against her being investigated, feminists have expressed concern about the repeated bio medical tests she is being subjected to.
“Rape complaint entails medical examination of the accused - to check injury marks, semen, and general physical verification. It certainly does not involve chromosomal verification. This must be accompanied by a medical examination of the complainant alleging rape, we haven’t heard of her partner being examined thus far,” say feminists.
The police, courts and media seem to be confused and the focus has shifted from rape to a moral panic about a person with a fuzzy gender identity.
Meanwhile, transgender activist Akkai Padmashali of Sangama in Bangalore, says, “If indeed Pinky belongs to the sexual minority community, we welcome the fact that a person from our community entered athletics and has won prestigious awards.” But if her gender is being tested, proper process should be followed and no rule should be broken. In any case, even as her gender is under the cloud, sending police men instead of women to arrest her is bad enough. “In the past many have had bad experiences when police men picked them up and subjected them to harassment,” she says.
She is quick to add, though that if the allegations of rape from her partner are found to be true, then Pinky cannot be supported even if she belongs to the sexual minority as it would be a violation of human rights.
Even as the whole debate about her gender rages on, many feel that the field of sports should have a third category of gender to legitimise participation of transgenders as well.
