TW for tranphobia, transmisogynyFallon Fox on life as a trans athlete: ‘The scope of vitriol a

TW for tranphobia, transmisogynyFallon Fox on life as a trans athlete: ‘The scope of vitriol and anger was mind-blowing’“MMA’s first openly trans athlete still encounters prejudice inside and outside the sport and says media are partly to blame: ‘We don’t tell people to write stories in respectful ways’Fallon Fox knows what it’s like to be the focus of rumours and hearsay. She is a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter – and the first openly trans athlete in the sport’s history.Fox is intimately familiar with our culture’s treatment of trans athletes. She was not out publicly when she began competing, although licensing commissions knew she was trans. But after Fox began winning, a reporter called her and made it clear he knew she was trans. Fox understood she had to get ahead of the story, so she came out in an Outsports article in March 2013.When I ask Fox about the obsessive interest in an athlete’s transition, she brings up the retrogressive idea that, despite the fact that there are actually many female athletes, sports are men’s domain. This leads people to see Jenner’s athletic abilities as a sign of maleness, making the possibility that Jenner might be trans a contradiction to gawk at.I ask Fox about being put in the position of having to come out publicly so early in her career. “That sucked. I expected that someone was going to out me; you just can’t go through life with a microscope on your career without someone delving into your past a little bit,” she says. “But it’s something you really can’t prepare yourself for.” Her face grows serious. “The scope of anger and vitriol that I received initially … That was disheartening, tragic. It was mind-blowing.”Read the full piece here -- source link
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