Will Sports ever be an Equal Arena for Women?

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Fox Sports has created a list describing, in their opinion, the best ten female athletes throughout time. These are female athletes who “prove they can hang with the boys.” I don’t necessarily appreciate that this label indicates that female athletes are a secondary addition to the primary category of the male athlete. Are not all athletes powerful regardless of their sex? When are women going to be treated as athletes for being athletes rather than for being female?

This also brings up the practice of testing women to ensure they are “true” women. Men are certainly not tested to ensure they are “true” men. It is an assumption that they are seen and perceived as men simply by performing up to the standards of a male athlete.

When will it be possible for women and men to be measured under the same EXACT athletic standards? What needs to be done? Until this is achieved, it will be impossible for women to operate to their full potential as athletes without a questioning of their sexual orientation, “true womanhood,” or athletic ability.