Excellent post. I agree with you in principle. But it is true that Semenya does not EVER lose. That seems to be a kind of physical advantage that goes beyond Phelps and Bolt, and the height of basketball players. My perspective is that this issue might be something unique to Semenya, so that, contrary to the many "this is the death of women's track and field" posts, we won't see that many intersex athletes like her. But I do feel her advantage goes beyond the natural unfairness of the genetic lottery, and if she is going to compete against women, she should be made to lower her testosterone level.
By the way,--since Lets Run posters always confuse the two, I also think what applies to intersex athletes should also apply to transgender athletes. Hormones should be lowered. But, knowing a few transgender people, I think most of them would actually prefer to have that happen. On these Semenya or transgender posts, you always have a few idiots that say "I'm going to wear a dress and compete as a woman." Well, to that I always think--Go ahead, You'll be destroyed by women like Ajee Wilson who have normal testosterone levels, not to mention intersex athletes like Semenya.
One problem which I've noticed again and again on these Semenya posts is that many Let's Run posters are enraged at her advantage, and seem to think she chose to be born with internal testes. I'm sure she has enjoyed both the material and psychological benefits of her success, but I have no doubt that if you asked her "if you could have had the success you had without your abnormality, would you have preferred that" she would undoubtedly say yes. Of course, her success comes from her abnormality, so that question is not really logical. But, although I do not know anyone who is intersex, I am sure it is not a comfortable situation. I do know some transgender, and a few more gay people, and although many of them "celebrate" their identity, for some of them, I think it is a bit of a compensation, and they do it to prove they are happy that they are gay and transgender. I'm not so sure that all of them are happy, and I think statistics back me up on this. I say this not because I am homophobic or anti-transgender. Not at all. Instead, what I am saying is that whether you are talking about intersex, transgenderism or homosexuality it is NOT a choice, but something that you were born with, and there should be a recognition that their identity is just as legitimate as mine as a heterosexual male.
HOWEVER, even though I would not discriminate against Semenya's identity in society, I do think, in the field of competition, when what you were born with means that you never, ever, lose, then there should be a rule change. Thinking totally hypothetically, what if there were a few 9 feet tall basketball players who were well coordinated, so that every time they got a pass, they scored. All other players would have to do is get them the ball, and it would be an automatic two or three points. I would think there would be a great deal of agitation to change the rules of the game, to try to level the playing field so that the 9 footers wouldn't be the only scorers. That's the way I see Semenya's situation. Admittedly, this hypothetical ignores the complex social issues of gender and identity, but I do think it captures the circumstances on the track, where, if Semenya's in the race, the only question is who will be second.