Joan of Arc; Saint, Sainte or political gadget?

 France has recently celebrated the 600th birthday of St Joan of Arc.  Unfortunately for poor Joan, her reputation is becoming more and more tarnished.

Recently a scolar has decided that Joan was in fact a man. The French soldiers would never have followed a mere peasant girl into battle.  The reason why the French wanted her to be known as a woman was that the English would have been terrified of a woman sent by God to fight for the French.  Was God not supposed to be on the English side? I don't think this theory holds water as the French handed Joan over to the English for execution.  I think that would have blown her cover, if there was one. 

We're having an election for a new President later in the year.  There is a lot of fighting, name calling and so on, as usuall.  St Joan has cropped up in the midst of this as she has been venerated by the far right  for many years for booting out the English and leaving France for the French.  Last week president Sarkozy laid flowers in rememberence of Joan and visited where she was born in  Domremy. This has caused feathers to fly as some seem to think that they have exclusive right over the Saint.