The taxonomy and ontology of sexual difference: implications for sport

When it comes to sexing the body, the effect of increasing knowledge has not been to consolidate the two-sex model of sexual difference, but to challenge the certainties of binary thinking. While this has consequences across all discourses, sport finds itself in a particularly bright spotlight because of its reliance on a clear distinction between male and female bodies. This article argues that sex testing is not based on knowledge of reality, but on an edifice of gender ideology that is simplistic and outdated. It proposes that, in the light of recent controversies, there is now an urgent requirement to take the growing challenges to the taxonomy and ontology of sexual difference seriously. This should be done through a proactive programme of education, targeted at all those concerned with sport, so that they can think differently rather than attempt to bolster the status quo.