Richard and Renee

When we talked about Renee Richards in class, I was astonished to find out that a man, Richard Raskind, played tennis with the boys, had a sex change, and then played tennis with the girls as Renee Richards. At first I thought that this was entirely unfair to the women that Renee played against after the sex change, but as we discussed it further in class, I realized that it was not some plot to dominate women’s tennis or gain an unfair advantage in the sport. There are strict rules as to when a man who has had a sex change can play against girls, and this is after the hormone therapy has taken effect and helped the person truly become a woman in all physical aspects. I feel that this eliminates any unfair advantage that the previously male player may have over women players.

I found it interesting that Renee actually regretted playing tennis on a public stage, even though she did well. I can see her point though, because I would not want all of that media attention either, especially about an issue that is so personal and private. She said that she wished she had just returned to a medical practice, where there would have been significantly less public interest and media attention.

I was also intrigued by the fact that Renee stated in an interview that she would recommend against the sex change surgery, especially if the candidate was over 40 years old. Most of the stories I hear today promote being true to your “inner self” and make it seem like these types of life-changing personal decisions are easy ones, with no regrets and a beautiful happily-ever-after attached. I like that fact that she gave a real opinion and serious advice to people in her situation.
I think that what Renee did will make it less controversial, although not entirely socially acceptable, for athletes who want to have sex changes in the future. She is one of the people that have made new ground for transgender athletes, and no matter her regrets, she has changed sport and the way it looks at gender.