Trans controversy as US Anti-Doping agency lets athlete compete despite taking banned testosterone
Trans athlete Cal Calamia will be able to compete despite taking banned testosterone
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A nonbinary transmasculine runner has been granted USADA permission to take testosterone while competing at USA Track and Field events.
The drug is often banned because it can be considered doping and performance-enhancing.
However, nonbinary high school cross-country coach and runner Cal Calamia has been given the green light to take the substance.
He received confirmation this week that he would be able to compete at USATF events, per the Washington Post.
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Calamia has been taking testosterone for the last four years, having transitioned from female to nonbinary transmasculine.
He was previously warned by the USADA that he was at risk of being sanctioned due to using the drug.
The exemption Calamia has now been granted is a landmark decision and believed to be the first of its kind when it comes to running.
The runner formerly advocated for the addition of the nonbinary division at last year's San Francisco Marathon.
He has also worked as an unpaid consultant for organisers of the nonbinary category at the Boston Marathon, which introduced the new division in April.
The USADA approval has been granted because athletes such as Calamia who use testosterone for medical reasons are allowed to apply for a therapeutic use exemption.
Calamia had never considered the medication could be considered doping.
He has reacted to the exemption by saying: "This approval represents a turning point in conversations about trans athletes.
"To have this approval means I'm allowed to be part of this conversation without being sidelined."
While applying, Calamia had to prove that there was a diagnosed case of gender dysmorphia behind the reason to use the drug.
He also said he didn't tick the boxes on the first question, which asked applicants if they were male or female.
Transgender athletes competing in sports is a hot topic these days.
Students at Roanoke College have protested after a former member of the men's team joined their squad last month.
They held a press conference to slam the university for allowing a biological man to compete.
And they have also accused the college of letting them down, with one member saying it was 'disheartening'.
The transgender athlete in question was apparently confronted by members of the team.
They explained their stance by saying they felt suicidal - though Roanoke College denies the individual has been able to compete.
Government-published research has suggested that trans women possess miltiple advantages over biological females.
Last August, the National Institutes of Health shared a review that suggested early exposure to testosterone gives them at least eight physical and mental advantages.
Findings found trans women had greater muscle mass and bone density - which help when it comes to traits such as strength, power and durability.