1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 2 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 3 00:00:14,180 --> 00:00:17,350 (suspenseful music) 4 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:43,777 (suspenseful music continues) 5 00:00:43,777 --> 00:00:46,346 - [Narrator #1] Racial inequality, defund the police, 6 00:00:46,346 --> 00:00:48,314 and now LGBT rights, 7 00:00:48,314 --> 00:00:50,750 Portland has become a hot bed of protest. 8 00:00:50,750 --> 00:00:53,486 - [Narrator #2] Police declared a riot in downtown. 9 00:00:53,486 --> 00:00:55,422 - [Narrator #3] There are all these attacks 10 00:00:55,422 --> 00:00:56,689 against trans rights and trans humanity 11 00:00:56,689 --> 00:00:59,459 that is really easy to gloss over. 12 00:00:59,459 --> 00:01:01,094 - [Narrator #4] Soon as Trump was elected, 13 00:01:01,094 --> 00:01:04,697 we saw a significant increase in white supremacist activity 14 00:01:04,697 --> 00:01:06,499 and misogynist activity. 15 00:01:06,499 --> 00:01:09,636 A lot of trans and queer people were being assaulted. 16 00:01:09,636 --> 00:01:11,004 - [Narrator #5] Officers say he attacked Jenny 17 00:01:11,004 --> 00:01:12,539 with a metal pole. 18 00:01:12,539 --> 00:01:13,940 - [Narrator #6] I don't wanna end up to dead one day. 19 00:01:13,940 --> 00:01:17,010 - [Danica] We had heard about her, that she was trans, 20 00:01:17,010 --> 00:01:19,646 that she was special forces, 21 00:01:19,646 --> 00:01:22,315 and that she had a very specific skillset. 22 00:01:23,716 --> 00:01:26,052 - [Narrator #7] So we're now seeing this widespread movement 23 00:01:26,052 --> 00:01:29,989 to ban women and girls who are trans from women's sports. 24 00:01:29,989 --> 00:01:32,158 - You didn't transition 25 00:01:32,158 --> 00:01:34,060 to win more medals? - No. 26 00:01:34,060 --> 00:01:35,261 - [Narrator #5] Alana McLaughlin, 27 00:01:35,261 --> 00:01:38,364 the second trans athlete to compete in MMA. 28 00:01:38,364 --> 00:01:39,499 - [Narrator #8] The South Carolina native 29 00:01:39,499 --> 00:01:41,100 says she has spent her whole life 30 00:01:41,100 --> 00:01:44,037 physically resisting violence, so mixed martial arts. 31 00:01:44,037 --> 00:01:45,705 - [Narrator #5] The human rights campaign says 32 00:01:45,705 --> 00:01:49,008 a record 34 states introduced anti-trans gender bills 33 00:01:49,008 --> 00:01:50,376 last year. 34 00:01:50,376 --> 00:01:51,678 - [Alana] The only way that trans people 35 00:01:51,678 --> 00:01:53,079 are gonna have more freedom and more inclusion 36 00:01:53,079 --> 00:01:55,448 is if we step up and make that space, 37 00:01:55,448 --> 00:01:56,916 clear it out for ourselves, 38 00:01:56,916 --> 00:01:59,486 because it's definitely not gonna be given to us. 39 00:02:00,286 --> 00:02:03,356 (suspenseful music) 40 00:02:12,298 --> 00:02:15,468 (suspenseful music) 41 00:02:30,884 --> 00:02:33,586 - [Campbell] I know it sounds like outta left field, 42 00:02:33,586 --> 00:02:36,422 I'm thinking about bringing Fallon Fox back. 43 00:02:36,422 --> 00:02:38,224 - [Mike] Well, if I put my purist hat on, 44 00:02:38,224 --> 00:02:40,760 yeah, I don't think it's great. 45 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:42,195 How old is she? 46 00:02:42,195 --> 00:02:44,731 She's like over 40 or 40 years old right now, I think. 47 00:02:44,731 --> 00:02:46,499 - [Tony] I'm on the same page with you, Mike, 48 00:02:46,499 --> 00:02:48,635 I'm worried about the optics. 49 00:02:48,635 --> 00:02:51,037 I do know of Fallon Fox, I don't know her personally, 50 00:02:51,037 --> 00:02:54,007 but I know there was a lot of bad press on that, 51 00:02:54,007 --> 00:02:56,576 so I'm not sure how this would pan out. 52 00:02:56,576 --> 00:02:58,011 - [Mike] It's definitely gonna create 53 00:02:58,011 --> 00:03:02,415 an explosive situation, so I'm uncomfortable with it. 54 00:03:03,449 --> 00:03:04,617 - [Campbell] You know, it's funny, 55 00:03:04,617 --> 00:03:06,019 I know how respectful you guys are. 56 00:03:06,019 --> 00:03:07,987 So when you tell me politely you don't like it, 57 00:03:07,987 --> 00:03:10,323 you're probably thinking, this is the dumbest fucking idea 58 00:03:10,323 --> 00:03:12,325 we have heard on one of these calls. 59 00:03:13,626 --> 00:03:16,062 I didn't think Fallon Fox was over 40. 60 00:03:16,062 --> 00:03:18,865 Let's find out if she's still active as a fighter, 61 00:03:20,133 --> 00:03:21,501 and let's table it. 62 00:03:21,501 --> 00:03:23,603 I mean, if she's not fighting and whatever, 63 00:03:23,603 --> 00:03:25,605 alright? - Okay, do some homework. 64 00:03:35,114 --> 00:03:37,650 (Alana slurping) 65 00:03:37,650 --> 00:03:40,320 - I did not create the Wikipedia page 66 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:41,955 and I'm not quite sure who did. 67 00:03:41,955 --> 00:03:44,190 I remember I said something on Twitter about like, you know, 68 00:03:44,190 --> 00:03:45,925 I'm surprised I don't have one. 69 00:03:45,925 --> 00:03:49,562 And then it was a couple days later, one popped up. 70 00:03:49,562 --> 00:03:53,399 But if you look at the editing history on that page, 71 00:03:53,399 --> 00:03:58,471 most of the edits are someone from an anonymous IP pops on 72 00:03:59,505 --> 00:04:01,474 and changes all the gender pronouns 73 00:04:01,474 --> 00:04:03,443 to he and him just to be shitty, 74 00:04:03,443 --> 00:04:05,144 and then someone changes it back. 75 00:04:05,144 --> 00:04:07,947 - My name is Anne Lieberman, I use they/them pronouns, 76 00:04:07,947 --> 00:04:09,816 and I'm the Director of Policy and Programs 77 00:04:09,816 --> 00:04:12,285 for Athlete Ally, a nonprofit organization 78 00:04:12,285 --> 00:04:15,588 that works to dismantle the structures of oppression 79 00:04:15,588 --> 00:04:17,557 that isolate, exclude, 80 00:04:17,557 --> 00:04:20,827 and endanger LGBTQI+ people in sports. 81 00:04:20,827 --> 00:04:24,697 Every trans person is different, we are not a monolith, 82 00:04:24,697 --> 00:04:26,733 so that's also just important to say. 83 00:04:26,733 --> 00:04:31,671 But gender dysphoria is when someone's deeply held belief 84 00:04:32,772 --> 00:04:36,242 of their gender does not match 85 00:04:36,242 --> 00:04:38,111 what is happening on the outside. 86 00:04:38,111 --> 00:04:39,445 - No, it was like five or six, 87 00:04:39,445 --> 00:04:41,681 and I saw there was some kind of TV show, 88 00:04:41,681 --> 00:04:44,651 like some expose on Christine Jorgensen, 89 00:04:44,651 --> 00:04:46,386 who was she was a trans woman 90 00:04:46,386 --> 00:04:48,621 back in like the '40s and '50s. 91 00:04:48,621 --> 00:04:51,290 - Have you finally achieved full acceptance? 92 00:04:51,290 --> 00:04:54,927 - Oh, I don't know whether things would be full acceptance. 93 00:04:54,927 --> 00:04:56,696 With the intelligence, of course, 94 00:04:58,197 --> 00:05:01,534 on the educational level of colleges and so forth, yes. 95 00:05:01,534 --> 00:05:04,871 In John Q Public, I'm not so sure sometimes. 96 00:05:05,638 --> 00:05:06,873 People are still believing 97 00:05:06,873 --> 00:05:08,041 that little boys should have blue booties 98 00:05:08,041 --> 00:05:09,809 and little girls should have pink booties. 99 00:05:09,809 --> 00:05:12,845 - Seeing that and feeling something click, you know? 100 00:05:12,845 --> 00:05:14,914 And even then, I didn't really have the words for it, 101 00:05:14,914 --> 00:05:17,817 I didn't have the vocabulary to describe it. 102 00:05:17,817 --> 00:05:21,521 You know, you know who you are and nobody else does. 103 00:05:21,521 --> 00:05:23,022 You know, it's maddening, 104 00:05:23,022 --> 00:05:24,157 it'll drive you crazy. 105 00:05:24,157 --> 00:05:27,126 I knew I was a girl, even if nobody else did. 106 00:05:28,127 --> 00:05:28,961 You know, keep in mind, 107 00:05:28,961 --> 00:05:30,163 I grew up in the '80s and '90s. 108 00:05:30,163 --> 00:05:31,664 I knew it was dangerous to discuss, 109 00:05:31,664 --> 00:05:33,099 because we went to church five times a week, 110 00:05:33,099 --> 00:05:37,003 and you know, it was a church where they firmly believed 111 00:05:37,003 --> 00:05:40,473 that everyone in the world is going to hell except them. 112 00:05:40,473 --> 00:05:42,842 My paternal grandfather was gay 113 00:05:42,842 --> 00:05:46,212 and he died in the AIDS crisis during the '90s. 114 00:05:46,212 --> 00:05:48,848 - The threat of aids, just the very threat of it, 115 00:05:48,848 --> 00:05:51,117 has changed the lives of millions of people. 116 00:05:52,385 --> 00:05:54,954 And you heard from the talk about prevention, 117 00:05:54,954 --> 00:05:57,323 about which I wanna say more in a moment. 118 00:05:57,323 --> 00:05:59,692 It needs to change the lives of millions 119 00:05:59,692 --> 00:06:01,360 of more Americans. - Probably like between 120 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:03,696 the age of like 5 and 10, sometime around then, 121 00:06:03,696 --> 00:06:04,764 grandpa started coming around again, 122 00:06:04,764 --> 00:06:06,799 and I guess dad and grandpa 123 00:06:06,799 --> 00:06:08,868 sort of repaired their relationship. 124 00:06:08,868 --> 00:06:10,303 And then grandpa got sick, 125 00:06:11,671 --> 00:06:15,675 and then dad took care of him while he went terminal. 126 00:06:17,677 --> 00:06:19,746 But even in spite of that, you know, 127 00:06:19,746 --> 00:06:22,882 grandpa made it clear that he had no regrets, 128 00:06:22,882 --> 00:06:24,517 you know, he was happy to be who he was. 129 00:06:24,517 --> 00:06:27,487 But when he passed my parents, 130 00:06:27,487 --> 00:06:29,422 I don't know if this was to comfort themselves, 131 00:06:29,422 --> 00:06:33,493 they were just certain that he repented before the end. 132 00:06:33,493 --> 00:06:36,696 You know, and that mindset, 133 00:06:38,064 --> 00:06:40,099 well, it never sat well with me, 134 00:06:40,099 --> 00:06:41,601 I wasn't able to be open about it. 135 00:06:41,601 --> 00:06:43,903 I don't know if my parents ever spoke with him about it, 136 00:06:43,903 --> 00:06:48,174 but I mean, I didn't intentionally come out to them. 137 00:06:48,174 --> 00:06:50,410 Like they used to dig through my belongings, 138 00:06:50,410 --> 00:06:52,445 they'd read my diary, you know, 139 00:06:52,445 --> 00:06:55,581 find girl clothes in my dresser in the back of my closet. 140 00:06:55,581 --> 00:06:59,285 And because of that, they took away my bedroom door, 141 00:06:59,285 --> 00:07:01,320 they took away my bedroom curtains, 142 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:04,257 so you know, every morning I'd see hundreds of cars 143 00:07:04,257 --> 00:07:05,792 going by on the main highway there 144 00:07:05,792 --> 00:07:07,160 on the way to school 145 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:09,896 while I was standing there in my underwear, 146 00:07:09,896 --> 00:07:10,830 you know, because they wanted to make sure 147 00:07:10,830 --> 00:07:12,665 I wasn't cross-dressing, right? 148 00:07:12,665 --> 00:07:14,600 They did all these things 149 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:18,037 to sort of try to make me conform to masculinity. 150 00:07:18,037 --> 00:07:19,705 That kind the focus of their lives really 151 00:07:19,705 --> 00:07:22,241 was the church for most of my life. 152 00:07:23,276 --> 00:07:28,080 - We know that trans kids experience 153 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:32,752 higher rates of suicidality and mental health issues, 154 00:07:32,752 --> 00:07:35,521 especially when they're not in a welcoming 155 00:07:35,521 --> 00:07:37,023 and inclusive environment. 156 00:07:37,023 --> 00:07:39,792 If there is at least one supportive adult 157 00:07:39,792 --> 00:07:44,497 in a trans kid's life, that that increases their ability 158 00:07:44,497 --> 00:07:48,768 to survive and connect to their communities exponentially. 159 00:07:52,371 --> 00:07:54,040 in a- Around the time Ithat that was five years old,lity 160 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:56,309 my parents started to take me to a nearby chicken farm 161 00:07:56,309 --> 00:07:58,144 owned by some members of their church. 162 00:07:58,144 --> 00:08:00,379 This was an effort to get me to man up 163 00:08:00,379 --> 00:08:03,216 by spending time with their adult sons. 164 00:08:03,216 --> 00:08:04,951 Instead, one of them raped me 165 00:08:04,951 --> 00:08:06,686 and continued to do so for years. 166 00:08:06,686 --> 00:08:08,221 The only reason they believed me 167 00:08:08,221 --> 00:08:12,625 is because they went to my abuser's parents and said, 168 00:08:12,625 --> 00:08:14,026 "You know, well, 169 00:08:14,026 --> 00:08:16,629 y'all have raised five or six boys. 170 00:08:16,629 --> 00:08:20,666 You know, why is our child telling these lies?" 171 00:08:20,666 --> 00:08:21,500 And then they're like, 172 00:08:21,500 --> 00:08:22,802 "Oh, well, 173 00:08:22,802 --> 00:08:23,703 this isn't the first time this has happened, 174 00:08:23,703 --> 00:08:26,138 so maybe it's not a lie." 175 00:08:27,907 --> 00:08:30,142 And I know that when I was being abused, 176 00:08:30,142 --> 00:08:32,178 I know of at least three other kids 177 00:08:32,178 --> 00:08:35,047 that were actively being abused at the same time, 178 00:08:35,047 --> 00:08:36,315 and I was the only one to come forward. 179 00:08:36,315 --> 00:08:39,151 I was the youngest, I was the smallest, 180 00:08:39,151 --> 00:08:40,887 and I was the only one to come forward. 181 00:08:40,887 --> 00:08:43,322 I mean, it should come as no surprise 182 00:08:43,322 --> 00:08:45,358 that as a kid growing up in the south, 183 00:08:45,358 --> 00:08:47,894 a skinny little queer kid who was kind of femme, 184 00:08:49,262 --> 00:08:50,930 you know, I got bullied a lot. 185 00:08:50,930 --> 00:08:53,199 So I would hide out in the blackberry thicket 186 00:08:53,199 --> 00:08:54,767 where nobody could come in after me. 187 00:08:54,767 --> 00:08:57,003 I was small enough to get in there 188 00:08:57,003 --> 00:09:00,273 and that was my safe place, surrounded by thorns, 189 00:09:00,273 --> 00:09:01,607 eating berries. 190 00:09:01,607 --> 00:09:05,278 (gentle instrumental music) 191 00:09:08,147 --> 00:09:10,816 Yeah, I went down and took those cognitive tests at the VA, 192 00:09:10,816 --> 00:09:13,386 and they said I was still in the top 2%. 193 00:09:13,386 --> 00:09:14,887 - [Fritz] That's amazing after all the concussions 194 00:09:14,887 --> 00:09:15,721 you've had. - Yeah, well, 195 00:09:15,721 --> 00:09:17,256 that's the thing, 196 00:09:17,256 --> 00:09:18,557 I've never been diagnosed with a concussion, 197 00:09:18,557 --> 00:09:21,794 I've never had a concussion, getting hit in the head, 198 00:09:21,794 --> 00:09:23,195 or blown up, or otherwise, so. 199 00:09:23,195 --> 00:09:24,797 - [Fritz] Well, lucky you, 200 00:09:24,797 --> 00:09:25,998 you can see all these - But still. 201 00:09:25,998 --> 00:09:27,266 - beautiful flowers. - Yeah, all the shit 202 00:09:27,266 --> 00:09:29,435 I got up to when I was younger and in the army, 203 00:09:29,435 --> 00:09:31,037 I don't know. 204 00:09:31,037 --> 00:09:31,904 - Yeah, we're close confidants, 205 00:09:31,904 --> 00:09:32,738 and Alana's an open book. 206 00:09:32,738 --> 00:09:33,706 I mean, you ask her, 207 00:09:33,706 --> 00:09:35,107 she'll tell you, 208 00:09:35,107 --> 00:09:36,475 we've seen each other through some hard spots. 209 00:09:36,475 --> 00:09:38,244 She's been there for me and I've been there for her. 210 00:09:38,244 --> 00:09:40,313 I know about her family of origin, 211 00:09:40,313 --> 00:09:42,248 I've heard about her hard years growing up, 212 00:09:42,248 --> 00:09:43,983 I know about the abuse she suffered 213 00:09:43,983 --> 00:09:45,918 as a trans person in the public eye. 214 00:09:45,918 --> 00:09:49,121 I like to hold those stories for her and she holds mine. 215 00:09:49,121 --> 00:09:50,890 - I was so deep in my own head 216 00:09:50,890 --> 00:09:53,693 and my own bullshit, just trying to muddle through things. 217 00:09:53,693 --> 00:09:57,330 I was extremely depressed, I was suicidal, 218 00:09:57,330 --> 00:10:00,199 you know, all I could think about was my gender, 219 00:10:00,199 --> 00:10:03,636 who I was gonna be, the abuse that I'd suffered. 220 00:10:03,636 --> 00:10:06,572 People knew I was smart, but they knew something was wrong, 221 00:10:06,572 --> 00:10:08,975 but nobody ever did anything about it. 222 00:10:08,975 --> 00:10:10,610 Athletics kind of saved me. 223 00:10:10,610 --> 00:10:13,479 Basically, one of the girls on my track 224 00:10:13,479 --> 00:10:15,581 and cross country team, she got scholarships 225 00:10:15,581 --> 00:10:17,650 to Newberry College in South Carolina, 226 00:10:17,650 --> 00:10:21,253 and they were actively recruiting other runners, 227 00:10:21,253 --> 00:10:25,057 and she gave them my name and then they recruited me. 228 00:10:25,057 --> 00:10:27,526 And I ran two seasons at Newberry College 229 00:10:27,526 --> 00:10:30,930 before people were homophobic and transphobic towards me. 230 00:10:30,930 --> 00:10:34,500 And I was talking to my mom, this was what it was about. 231 00:10:34,500 --> 00:10:36,602 I was like, these feelings have not gone away. 232 00:10:36,602 --> 00:10:38,070 You know, I told my parents 233 00:10:38,070 --> 00:10:41,307 that the whole conversion therapy again 234 00:10:42,441 --> 00:10:44,744 and cutting me off from any support 235 00:10:44,744 --> 00:10:46,278 wasn't gonna work for me, 236 00:10:46,278 --> 00:10:48,614 so maybe I should join the army instead, and you know, 237 00:10:48,614 --> 00:10:50,049 get myself killed at war. 238 00:10:50,049 --> 00:10:52,551 And then my mom said, "Maybe the army's not a bad idea." 239 00:10:52,551 --> 00:10:53,953 - An army of one. - Yeah, you know, 240 00:10:53,953 --> 00:10:55,621 I was without direction. 241 00:10:55,621 --> 00:10:59,025 All I gave a shit about was that I was sad, and angry, 242 00:10:59,025 --> 00:11:00,426 and nobody cared about me. 243 00:11:01,594 --> 00:11:04,330 So when I decided to join the army, 244 00:11:04,330 --> 00:11:07,566 it absolutely was not out of any patriotic duty. 245 00:11:07,566 --> 00:11:09,268 I don't know what it is that drives me 246 00:11:09,268 --> 00:11:11,037 to do these things, but it's, 247 00:11:11,037 --> 00:11:12,338 you know, if I was gonna be a soldier, 248 00:11:12,338 --> 00:11:13,806 I was gonna be one of the best soldiers. 249 00:11:13,806 --> 00:11:18,577 I wasn't gonna settle for being a cook or a mechanic. 250 00:11:19,478 --> 00:11:21,047 And if I was gonna go to combat, 251 00:11:22,748 --> 00:11:24,183 I was gonna be one of the best at it. 252 00:11:25,117 --> 00:11:26,952 (gunshots banging) 253 00:11:26,952 --> 00:11:29,789 Anybody volunteering for special forces, to an extent, 254 00:11:29,789 --> 00:11:31,090 they are a different breed. 255 00:11:31,090 --> 00:11:32,525 They're there for some reason or another, 256 00:11:32,525 --> 00:11:33,759 they're driven by something, 257 00:11:33,759 --> 00:11:35,327 and I think some of them it's trauma, 258 00:11:35,327 --> 00:11:37,296 some of it it's just toxic masculinity, 259 00:11:37,296 --> 00:11:38,898 like, this is how you be a man, 260 00:11:38,898 --> 00:11:39,899 for whatever reason, I mean, 261 00:11:39,899 --> 00:11:41,267 that's kind of why I was there. 262 00:11:41,267 --> 00:11:43,769 I was at a tipping point and I knew I was gonna die 263 00:11:43,769 --> 00:11:46,472 one way or another if I didn't transition. 264 00:11:47,706 --> 00:11:50,776 You know, we were on exfil from Afghanistan, 265 00:11:50,776 --> 00:11:54,480 we were flying in a Black Hawk from our FOB 266 00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:57,183 that we'd been at into Qalat, 267 00:11:58,050 --> 00:11:59,618 what they call map of the earth, 268 00:11:59,618 --> 00:12:02,221 so we were flying low down in a valley in the helicopter. 269 00:12:04,490 --> 00:12:07,259 And, you know, 270 00:12:07,259 --> 00:12:08,461 I'd gone through this whole deployment, 271 00:12:08,461 --> 00:12:10,062 been shot at and blown up, 272 00:12:10,062 --> 00:12:12,798 and I was still here, you know, 273 00:12:12,798 --> 00:12:14,533 worst I'd had was just a couple scratches, 274 00:12:14,533 --> 00:12:16,268 you know, piece of shrapnel in my hip, 275 00:12:16,268 --> 00:12:17,970 like, you know, 276 00:12:17,970 --> 00:12:18,938 being the medic on the team, 277 00:12:18,938 --> 00:12:19,905 I didn't even report that, 278 00:12:19,905 --> 00:12:21,340 I didn't get my purple heart 279 00:12:21,340 --> 00:12:23,509 because I didn't want that enemy marksmanship badge. 280 00:12:25,111 --> 00:12:29,515 But we were flying in that helicopter, 281 00:12:29,515 --> 00:12:32,418 and I thought about jumping. 282 00:12:33,419 --> 00:12:35,821 And I don't know, I can't remember 283 00:12:35,821 --> 00:12:38,090 if it was my team sergeant or my captain, 284 00:12:39,725 --> 00:12:43,896 and I don't know if they just had a gut feeling 285 00:12:43,896 --> 00:12:47,533 or if I actually like moved towards the open door. 286 00:12:47,533 --> 00:12:49,502 I don't remember what the fuck happened, 287 00:12:49,502 --> 00:12:53,472 but I know that somebody like grabbed me and pulled me 288 00:12:53,472 --> 00:12:55,374 and held me up against the wall of the aircraft 289 00:12:55,374 --> 00:12:56,642 until I made eye contact. 290 00:12:56,642 --> 00:12:59,078 And that was. 291 00:12:59,078 --> 00:13:02,248 (suspenseful music) 292 00:13:05,518 --> 00:13:08,087 I was so hopeless, you know? 293 00:13:08,087 --> 00:13:09,188 And I've had people tell me, 294 00:13:09,188 --> 00:13:10,589 "Oh, you're so brave for doing this." 295 00:13:10,589 --> 00:13:12,458 And it wasn't bravery, it was desperation. 296 00:13:12,458 --> 00:13:16,762 It was, I'm gonna die if I don't do this, 297 00:13:16,762 --> 00:13:18,931 either by my own hand or by someone else's. 298 00:13:18,931 --> 00:13:21,934 And I tried six years in the military, I did special forces, 299 00:13:21,934 --> 00:13:26,138 I saw combat and was better at killing than I was at dying. 300 00:13:26,138 --> 00:13:29,375 So yeah, I went up to Asheville, 301 00:13:29,375 --> 00:13:32,211 North Carolina, and I spent close to a year 302 00:13:32,211 --> 00:13:35,314 in a little cabin outside of Weaverville by myself. 303 00:13:35,314 --> 00:13:36,649 I had been trying to ease into it. 304 00:13:36,649 --> 00:13:38,684 And then my birthday in 2012, I was like, 305 00:13:38,684 --> 00:13:40,386 "Fuck it, I have to do this." 306 00:13:40,386 --> 00:13:43,889 And easing in isn't working, didn't work. 307 00:13:43,889 --> 00:13:45,357 So I jumped in feet first. 308 00:13:45,357 --> 00:13:48,360 Hormone therapy and social transition. 309 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:50,296 So, you know, 310 00:13:50,296 --> 00:13:51,997 I stopped wearing men's clothing. 311 00:13:51,997 --> 00:13:54,133 But no, I graduated, 312 00:13:54,133 --> 00:13:55,668 got my art degree, 313 00:13:55,668 --> 00:13:57,036 and I went to work for a blacksmith shop 314 00:13:57,036 --> 00:13:59,738 back in Asheville or outside of Asheville. 315 00:13:59,738 --> 00:14:04,844 (suspenseful music) (hammer banging) 316 00:14:05,611 --> 00:14:07,079 Then my friend Sophia talked me 317 00:14:07,079 --> 00:14:08,614 into moving out here to Portland. 318 00:14:08,614 --> 00:14:10,015 You know, I'd never been here before, 319 00:14:10,015 --> 00:14:11,717 sight unseen. 320 00:14:11,717 --> 00:14:14,386 Frankly, I honestly believe that if I had not been trans, 321 00:14:14,386 --> 00:14:18,057 I'd have been in the UFC by 2011 or 2012 322 00:14:18,057 --> 00:14:19,458 after I got outta the Army. 323 00:14:20,860 --> 00:14:23,462 But that didn't seem like that was ever gonna be possible 324 00:14:23,462 --> 00:14:24,763 if I couldn't have surgery, 325 00:14:24,763 --> 00:14:26,265 and I didn't think I was ever gonna have surgery. 326 00:14:26,265 --> 00:14:30,536 It wasn't until 2016, within a couple months of being here, 327 00:14:30,536 --> 00:14:33,939 someone that I knew from a forum, 328 00:14:33,939 --> 00:14:36,642 an old trans message board on the internet, 329 00:14:37,810 --> 00:14:38,878 she got ahold of me and she was like, 330 00:14:38,878 --> 00:14:39,545 "Hey, you know, 331 00:14:39,545 --> 00:14:41,247 I know this doctor, 332 00:14:41,247 --> 00:14:44,350 this guy out in Thailand who used to run 333 00:14:44,350 --> 00:14:46,719 a gender transition clinic." 334 00:14:46,719 --> 00:14:50,689 So the deal was they give me all the surgeries, you know, 335 00:14:50,689 --> 00:14:52,925 bottom surgery, top surgery, facial surgery. 336 00:14:54,093 --> 00:14:55,461 And then in return, 337 00:14:55,461 --> 00:14:57,663 they get to use my photos for advertisement. 338 00:14:57,663 --> 00:14:59,231 I jumped at the chance, you know? 339 00:14:59,231 --> 00:15:01,300 And she's like, "Hey, you know, 340 00:15:01,300 --> 00:15:02,768 don't feel like you have to take this, 341 00:15:02,768 --> 00:15:05,938 because it's gonna be scary and it's gonna be lonely, 342 00:15:05,938 --> 00:15:07,273 and it is dangerous." 343 00:15:07,273 --> 00:15:09,708 Because I got top surgery, bottom surgery, 344 00:15:09,708 --> 00:15:12,278 and facial surgery within a week of each other. 345 00:15:12,278 --> 00:15:13,512 I ended up losing a lot of blood 346 00:15:13,512 --> 00:15:14,713 and had to have a transfusion, 347 00:15:14,713 --> 00:15:16,615 I'm guessing I had a bleeder somewhere. 348 00:15:16,615 --> 00:15:19,718 After I got surgery, the clinic ended up going under. 349 00:15:19,718 --> 00:15:23,422 The guy that put it all together, I was told, 350 00:15:23,422 --> 00:15:25,591 'Oh, he's wanted by Interpol now." 351 00:15:25,591 --> 00:15:30,329 After surgery, I was an emotional rollercoaster. 352 00:15:30,329 --> 00:15:33,799 I apologized to all of my friends 353 00:15:33,799 --> 00:15:36,568 that were with me at that time 354 00:15:36,568 --> 00:15:37,803 who saw the nightmare person I was 355 00:15:37,803 --> 00:15:40,272 for a good six months after that. 356 00:15:40,272 --> 00:15:41,573 I was hard to deal with. 357 00:15:42,708 --> 00:15:43,809 I took some of these important moments 358 00:15:43,809 --> 00:15:45,878 in my life and put them online. 359 00:15:45,878 --> 00:15:47,513 My social media presence kicked off 360 00:15:47,513 --> 00:15:49,548 back in the heyday of Tumblr, a blogging website 361 00:15:49,548 --> 00:15:50,983 where I chronicled my transition 362 00:15:50,983 --> 00:15:52,751 and made some of my first serious forays 363 00:15:52,751 --> 00:15:54,820 into engaging with the trans community. 364 00:15:54,820 --> 00:15:57,456 (video beeping) 365 00:16:01,994 --> 00:16:02,828 (suspenseful music) 366 00:16:02,828 --> 00:16:04,029 This is where I dipped my toe 367 00:16:04,029 --> 00:16:05,597 in learning how to be a baby activist 368 00:16:05,597 --> 00:16:08,000 with local orgs like the UNCA Feminist Collective. 369 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:09,435 (suspenseful music) 370 00:16:09,435 --> 00:16:11,403 With the election of Donald Trump, I saw a real threat, 371 00:16:11,403 --> 00:16:15,007 not only to the LGBTQ community, but minorities everywhere. 372 00:16:15,007 --> 00:16:17,676 Eventually Tumblr gave way to Instagram and Twitter. 373 00:16:17,676 --> 00:16:20,980 - We had heard about her, like there was this 374 00:16:20,980 --> 00:16:26,018 like trantifa super soldier who came to Portland. 375 00:16:26,885 --> 00:16:28,787 And so we reached out to her, 376 00:16:30,089 --> 00:16:32,658 'cause we do a community defense project. 377 00:16:32,658 --> 00:16:34,760 - So the past three to five years 378 00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:39,164 have been the most violent 379 00:16:39,164 --> 00:16:44,003 and scary in the history of the US for LGBTQI+ people. 380 00:16:44,003 --> 00:16:47,106 Hundreds and hundreds of pieces of legislation 381 00:16:47,106 --> 00:16:50,576 directly targeting LGBTQI+ communities 382 00:16:50,576 --> 00:16:53,679 at the state level, at the federal level. 383 00:16:53,679 --> 00:16:56,682 And the majority of that legislation 384 00:16:56,682 --> 00:16:58,650 has been targeting transgender people. 385 00:16:58,650 --> 00:17:00,352 - I got very politically active. 386 00:17:00,352 --> 00:17:02,087 And then, you know, 387 00:17:02,087 --> 00:17:03,989 anybody that's watched the news reports about Portland 388 00:17:03,989 --> 00:17:07,092 for the past six years, that's Portland. 389 00:17:07,092 --> 00:17:12,097 (suspenseful music) (people yelling) 390 00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:24,443 (gentle instrumental music) (air whooshing) 391 00:17:24,443 --> 00:17:27,513 Everyone's favorite, the magic fairy wand over here. 392 00:17:27,513 --> 00:17:29,248 When I made it and displayed it, 393 00:17:29,248 --> 00:17:31,417 I had it wrapped with pink ribbons and it was really pretty. 394 00:17:31,417 --> 00:17:34,553 But in recent years it's been used for stress relief. 395 00:17:34,553 --> 00:17:35,554 And usually around this time of year 396 00:17:35,554 --> 00:17:37,790 we go and smash up pumpkins. 397 00:17:37,790 --> 00:17:39,725 I used to call myself an artist, 398 00:17:39,725 --> 00:17:41,293 I would like to call myself an artist, 399 00:17:41,293 --> 00:17:43,762 but I can't afford space in Portland to do that. 400 00:17:43,762 --> 00:17:45,631 So it's mostly complete, 401 00:17:45,631 --> 00:17:48,133 but I want to build a really big, 402 00:17:48,133 --> 00:17:50,936 ridiculous ostentatious frame around it. 403 00:17:50,936 --> 00:17:54,606 Back in the '30s, Mussolini's fascist party headquarters, 404 00:17:54,606 --> 00:17:56,975 this was the front of the building, 405 00:17:56,975 --> 00:17:59,812 si being the Italian word for yes, 406 00:17:59,812 --> 00:18:02,014 and it's just Mussolini's face. 407 00:18:02,014 --> 00:18:05,050 I changed si to just dollar signs and exclamation points, 408 00:18:05,050 --> 00:18:08,587 because Donald Trump is a silver spoon con man. 409 00:18:08,587 --> 00:18:10,522 I make no secret of the fact that people 410 00:18:10,522 --> 00:18:13,025 that openly say they hate people like me 411 00:18:13,025 --> 00:18:15,027 and want me dead, I hate them right back. 412 00:18:15,027 --> 00:18:16,762 - Alana does have a tough exterior. 413 00:18:16,762 --> 00:18:20,065 She's seen all sorts of action from Afghanistan 414 00:18:20,065 --> 00:18:21,733 to even here on the streets of Portland. 415 00:18:21,733 --> 00:18:23,202 But you know, underneath it, 416 00:18:23,202 --> 00:18:25,604 she's a squishmallow, she is a little kitten 417 00:18:25,604 --> 00:18:26,972 who wants to curl up by your side, 418 00:18:26,972 --> 00:18:29,241 get head scratches, and eat snacks with you. 419 00:18:29,241 --> 00:18:31,076 - [Alana] Okay, the fountain is seriously looking 420 00:18:31,076 --> 00:18:32,878 very inviting right now. - Yeah, it's beautiful. 421 00:18:32,878 --> 00:18:34,513 - My therapist wrote in support of me 422 00:18:34,513 --> 00:18:36,115 when I was filing my claim from the VA, 423 00:18:36,115 --> 00:18:38,884 that I have one of the worst cases of PTSD she's ever seen. 424 00:18:38,884 --> 00:18:41,253 And for me it's, it's not just PTSD, 425 00:18:41,253 --> 00:18:45,190 it's complex PTSD, because it started when I was very young. 426 00:18:45,190 --> 00:18:48,760 You know, and it's the kind of thing that happens to people 427 00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:51,530 who are put in traumatic situations 428 00:18:51,530 --> 00:18:53,398 that are long-term and inescapable. 429 00:18:53,398 --> 00:18:58,604 - Even with her complex trauma, with her combat background. 430 00:18:59,271 --> 00:19:01,206 (sirens wailing) 431 00:19:01,206 --> 00:19:04,042 (gunshots banging) 432 00:19:08,113 --> 00:19:10,516 - [Alana] This is real fucking good for my PTSD. 433 00:19:13,785 --> 00:19:16,955 - Being trans and living in this society, 434 00:19:16,955 --> 00:19:21,160 she is actively working on her own mental health. 435 00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:23,996 - She's a person who came from a world of violence. 436 00:19:23,996 --> 00:19:27,399 And for her to have that, the thing that honed her, 437 00:19:27,399 --> 00:19:29,301 and turned it into something that's challenging 438 00:19:29,301 --> 00:19:31,570 and positive for her, I think is amazing. 439 00:19:31,570 --> 00:19:33,105 - You know, by the time I was 10, 440 00:19:33,105 --> 00:19:34,973 you know, I'd spent half of my life 441 00:19:34,973 --> 00:19:36,675 being someone's personal sex toy. 442 00:19:40,045 --> 00:19:43,081 I'm surprised I'm in any way a functional human being. 443 00:19:44,616 --> 00:19:47,386 'Cause most of the time people don't come back from that. 444 00:19:47,386 --> 00:19:48,754 (suspenseful music) 445 00:19:48,754 --> 00:19:50,923 I haven't spoken to my family in years. 446 00:19:50,923 --> 00:19:53,091 Their false hope of conversion is long gone. 447 00:19:54,459 --> 00:19:55,727 Sometimes I wonder if they check in 448 00:19:55,727 --> 00:19:57,563 on my social feeds to see what I'm up to. 449 00:19:57,563 --> 00:19:58,730 But I have to remind myself 450 00:19:58,730 --> 00:20:00,866 of the reality of this situation. 451 00:20:00,866 --> 00:20:02,401 Yeah, I know my story makes me sound 452 00:20:02,401 --> 00:20:05,037 like an anime character brought to life, but what can I say? 453 00:20:05,037 --> 00:20:07,773 It's my story and I'm the one that lived it. 454 00:20:07,773 --> 00:20:09,241 I'm a tough as nails, candy coated, 455 00:20:09,241 --> 00:20:11,877 hard femme, trantifa super soldier. 456 00:20:11,877 --> 00:20:13,078 (suspenseful music) 457 00:20:13,078 --> 00:20:13,845 I'm Lady Feral. 458 00:20:20,419 --> 00:20:21,620 (suspenseful music) 459 00:20:21,620 --> 00:20:22,554 - [Campbell] This is a pretty good way 460 00:20:22,554 --> 00:20:24,790 to jumpstart a lot of interest. 461 00:20:24,790 --> 00:20:27,526 I mean, it's if they don't care about us, 462 00:20:27,526 --> 00:20:29,494 that I think is the problem. 463 00:20:29,494 --> 00:20:30,796 - [Tony] I mean, I understand that, 464 00:20:30,796 --> 00:20:32,931 Campbell, I'm just worried about legitimacy. 465 00:20:32,931 --> 00:20:35,033 You know, we're an up and coming organization, 466 00:20:35,033 --> 00:20:37,469 I think we're headed for a train wreck. 467 00:20:37,469 --> 00:20:39,738 - I don't. - Can I speak? 468 00:20:39,738 --> 00:20:41,306 - [Campbell] Yeah, go ahead, Mike. 469 00:20:41,306 --> 00:20:43,675 - [Mike] Alright, so here's the deal. 470 00:20:43,675 --> 00:20:45,777 You know, I got the low down on Fallon, 471 00:20:45,777 --> 00:20:48,180 and she's outta action, she's not in shape, 472 00:20:48,180 --> 00:20:51,984 and she's kind of aged out of the sport. 473 00:20:51,984 --> 00:20:56,888 But she did turn me on to another transgender fighter 474 00:20:59,658 --> 00:21:01,893 who has a really crazy story, actually. 475 00:21:03,095 --> 00:21:05,063 You know, before she made the transition, 476 00:21:05,063 --> 00:21:08,600 she was in the special forces. 477 00:21:08,600 --> 00:21:13,338 And now she makes swords. 478 00:21:13,338 --> 00:21:15,607 - She makes swords? - That's right, 479 00:21:15,607 --> 00:21:17,009 she makes swords, actual swords. 480 00:21:17,009 --> 00:21:18,810 If we're going down this path, 481 00:21:18,810 --> 00:21:21,246 I think she's a much better fit, 482 00:21:21,246 --> 00:21:25,317 you know, regardless of Fallon's circumstances. 483 00:21:25,317 --> 00:21:26,418 - [Campbell] I just want to be clear 484 00:21:26,418 --> 00:21:27,886 on what the TV gods 485 00:21:27,886 --> 00:21:29,288 are offering us. - Yep. 486 00:21:29,288 --> 00:21:30,956 - [Campbell] This is a fucking no brainer. 487 00:21:30,956 --> 00:21:34,226 Alright. - We are an MMA organization, 488 00:21:34,226 --> 00:21:37,362 not the United Nations, just remember that. 489 00:21:37,362 --> 00:21:38,830 (Campbell laughing) 490 00:21:38,830 --> 00:21:40,165 - I forgot. - I don't even know 491 00:21:40,165 --> 00:21:41,667 what that means, but it's funny. 492 00:21:41,667 --> 00:21:43,335 Look, Tony, I hear you. 493 00:21:44,636 --> 00:21:46,371 Let's find out some more. 494 00:21:46,371 --> 00:21:48,840 What is this woman's name? 495 00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:51,343 - [Tony] Her name is Alana McLaughlin. 496 00:21:52,577 --> 00:21:56,114 (fighters grunting) 497 00:21:56,114 --> 00:21:59,151 - So that's what you call karate, hey? 498 00:21:59,151 --> 00:22:01,186 - In the '80s and '90s, I really got into Bruce Lee. 499 00:22:01,186 --> 00:22:03,155 Kind of a crush, to be honest, 500 00:22:03,155 --> 00:22:04,589 because nobody else looked like that 501 00:22:04,589 --> 00:22:06,091 and nobody else moved like that. 502 00:22:07,059 --> 00:22:08,393 You know, you go back and watch 503 00:22:08,393 --> 00:22:10,696 any of the contemporary movies from that era, 504 00:22:10,696 --> 00:22:12,030 Bruce was the only one 505 00:22:12,030 --> 00:22:15,867 that had that kind of onscreen charisma. 506 00:22:15,867 --> 00:22:18,603 It was the closest I was ever allowed to dancing. 507 00:22:18,603 --> 00:22:21,173 You know, it was an expression of the human body 508 00:22:21,173 --> 00:22:25,243 that I was at least tangentially allowed to access. 509 00:22:25,243 --> 00:22:26,645 You know, my sister's danced ballet, 510 00:22:26,645 --> 00:22:27,879 and I wasn't allowed. 511 00:22:27,879 --> 00:22:29,414 You know, running was my first love 512 00:22:29,414 --> 00:22:30,716 when it came to athletics. 513 00:22:30,716 --> 00:22:34,653 But mixed martial arts, just martial arts in general, 514 00:22:34,653 --> 00:22:38,924 it's a way to sort of re-inhabit and reclaim my body. 515 00:22:38,924 --> 00:22:41,727 You know, it lets me feel like I have 516 00:22:41,727 --> 00:22:43,228 some measure of control 517 00:22:43,228 --> 00:22:45,430 that I might not otherwise feel that I have. 518 00:22:47,299 --> 00:22:48,300 ♪ Nobody 519 00:22:48,300 --> 00:22:49,367 ♪ No, no, no 520 00:22:49,367 --> 00:22:51,703 ♪ Nobody, nobody does it like me ♪ 521 00:22:51,703 --> 00:22:52,704 ♪ Nobody 522 00:22:52,704 --> 00:22:53,705 ♪ No, no, no 523 00:22:53,705 --> 00:22:55,941 ♪ Nobody 524 00:22:55,941 --> 00:22:57,275 (upbeat music) (singers vocalizing) 525 00:22:57,275 --> 00:22:59,044 - [Interviewer #1] Hey, Fallon Fox, MMA fighter, 526 00:22:59,044 --> 00:23:00,946 the transgender one. 527 00:23:00,946 --> 00:23:01,747 - Yeah. - Is trying to fight 528 00:23:01,747 --> 00:23:03,315 in the UFC. 529 00:23:03,315 --> 00:23:04,516 We're not sure if they wanna welcome her into the UFC. 530 00:23:04,516 --> 00:23:06,718 Would you welcome her into the wrestling? 531 00:23:06,718 --> 00:23:07,619 - I'll whip her, 532 00:23:07,619 --> 00:23:08,920 I mean, I'll whip him. 533 00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:10,122 I mean. - You'll whip him, 534 00:23:10,122 --> 00:23:10,722 you'll whip her or him? - I'll whip her. 535 00:23:10,722 --> 00:23:12,190 I'm confused. 536 00:23:12,190 --> 00:23:13,992 - Well, regardless of. - Have dinner, submission. 537 00:23:13,992 --> 00:23:17,028 - [Interviewer #2] You think you can knock out Fallon Fox? 538 00:23:17,028 --> 00:23:18,597 - I can knock out on anyone in the world. 539 00:23:18,597 --> 00:23:20,899 (upbeat music) 540 00:23:20,899 --> 00:23:22,534 - Is having a long over due conversation 541 00:23:22,534 --> 00:23:23,769 around transgender issues, 542 00:23:23,769 --> 00:23:26,171 recently inspired by the likes of Caitlyn Jenner 543 00:23:26,171 --> 00:23:28,373 and Laverne Cox in "Orange is the New Black". 544 00:23:28,373 --> 00:23:32,310 Among the ranks of transgender pioneers is Fallon Fox, 545 00:23:32,310 --> 00:23:36,248 the first openly transgender athlete in the history of MMA. 546 00:23:36,248 --> 00:23:38,083 And she joins us this morning. 547 00:23:38,083 --> 00:23:39,718 Good morning, Fallon. 548 00:23:39,718 --> 00:23:40,786 So good to See you. 549 00:23:40,786 --> 00:23:42,120 (upbeat music) 550 00:23:42,120 --> 00:23:43,488 - The first round. - Yeah. 551 00:23:43,488 --> 00:23:45,657 Allanna challenges and Fallon gets her down, 552 00:23:45,657 --> 00:23:47,626 the earliest we've seen so far in the fight. 553 00:23:47,626 --> 00:23:50,662 - Yeah, got her throat. - Oh, and Allanna Jones 554 00:23:50,662 --> 00:23:52,230 taps out. 555 00:23:52,230 --> 00:23:54,766 A knee across the throat from Fallon Fox, 556 00:23:54,766 --> 00:23:55,867 Allanna Jones taps out in the third and final round. 557 00:23:58,837 --> 00:24:00,906 Fallon Fox comes out on top. 558 00:24:00,906 --> 00:24:03,408 (crowds cheering) (upbeat music) 559 00:24:03,408 --> 00:24:06,611 - Fallon transcends the sport she was in. 560 00:24:06,611 --> 00:24:08,246 She transcends MMA. 561 00:24:08,246 --> 00:24:11,716 You cannot do this story and not talk about her. 562 00:24:11,716 --> 00:24:14,252 In many ways, Fallon is, 563 00:24:14,252 --> 00:24:18,657 if you built a Mount Rushmore of trans people, 564 00:24:18,657 --> 00:24:22,093 you have to make a strong case for her being on it 565 00:24:22,093 --> 00:24:25,931 because of what she did, and how she did it, 566 00:24:25,931 --> 00:24:27,866 and the hits that she took to do it. 567 00:24:27,866 --> 00:24:29,434 - More than anything, 568 00:24:29,434 --> 00:24:33,038 you admired her for putting herself in this position. 569 00:24:33,038 --> 00:24:34,206 Somebody's gotta be first, 570 00:24:34,206 --> 00:24:36,007 we've seen it in every walk of life. 571 00:24:36,007 --> 00:24:39,010 It's always gonna be difficult, it certainly was for her. 572 00:24:39,010 --> 00:24:42,314 - It's not her undefeated record that has everyone talking. 573 00:24:42,314 --> 00:24:45,450 The headline is the fact that Fallon was born a man. 574 00:24:45,450 --> 00:24:48,386 Fallon kept her history private until breaking the story 575 00:24:48,386 --> 00:24:51,356 to "Sports Illustrated's" Loretta Hunt this week. 576 00:24:51,356 --> 00:24:53,358 - So the first time around, 577 00:24:53,358 --> 00:24:55,827 no one knew that she was transgender. 578 00:24:55,827 --> 00:24:58,497 It wasn't until the second time that we found out, 579 00:24:58,497 --> 00:25:00,365 or she came out and said publicly, 580 00:25:00,365 --> 00:25:02,400 that she was a transgender fighter. 581 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:04,236 - My very first fight was back in '99. 582 00:25:04,236 --> 00:25:06,171 So it's like, that's early, 583 00:25:06,171 --> 00:25:07,405 early days of the sport. 584 00:25:07,405 --> 00:25:08,673 Accomplished quite a lot, you know, 585 00:25:08,673 --> 00:25:11,409 I had an amazing career, won five world titles. 586 00:25:11,409 --> 00:25:15,280 I'm strongly against trans competing in MMA. 587 00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:16,848 - [Alana] Okay, we need to pause here, 588 00:25:16,848 --> 00:25:19,684 so I can tell you exactly who Jake Shields is. 589 00:25:19,684 --> 00:25:22,420 He's a misogynist, racist, anti-queer, 590 00:25:22,420 --> 00:25:24,556 anti-vax conspiracy theorist. 591 00:25:24,556 --> 00:25:26,191 He thinks climate change is fake, 592 00:25:26,191 --> 00:25:27,893 that queer people are destroying civilization, 593 00:25:27,893 --> 00:25:30,829 and that women are sex objects and baby factories. 594 00:25:30,829 --> 00:25:32,631 This is the man that suggested Greta Thunberg 595 00:25:32,631 --> 00:25:34,666 just needed a proper smashing from Andrew Tate 596 00:25:34,666 --> 00:25:38,069 to knock it off with her crazy feminist climate activism. 597 00:25:38,069 --> 00:25:39,838 He's going to shriek that trans athletes 598 00:25:39,838 --> 00:25:41,539 are dominating women's sports, 599 00:25:41,539 --> 00:25:44,476 which he acknowledges he doesn't care about, by the way. 600 00:25:44,476 --> 00:25:46,177 How can we believe he wants to protect women 601 00:25:46,177 --> 00:25:47,712 and daughters when he thinks feminists 602 00:25:47,712 --> 00:25:49,247 just need a good fucking. 603 00:25:49,247 --> 00:25:50,916 - Unless they're going against other trans. 604 00:25:50,916 --> 00:25:53,885 Fallon Fox wasn't a good fighter, but she was just bigger, 605 00:25:53,885 --> 00:25:55,654 she, he, whatever it was, 606 00:25:55,654 --> 00:25:57,022 bigger and stronger than the girls she was fighting. 607 00:25:57,022 --> 00:25:58,823 She hid the fact that she was a man. 608 00:25:58,823 --> 00:25:59,891 I think at that time period, 609 00:25:59,891 --> 00:26:01,293 people weren't following trans athletes, 610 00:26:01,293 --> 00:26:02,794 it was kind of a new thing. 611 00:26:02,794 --> 00:26:05,096 Now it's everywhere, it's being pushed in every sport. 612 00:26:05,096 --> 00:26:07,999 I think the vast majority of people don't agree with it, 613 00:26:07,999 --> 00:26:09,834 but they're scared to speak out. 614 00:26:09,834 --> 00:26:11,436 - I think it has gotten more intense 615 00:26:11,436 --> 00:26:13,605 and I think it's due to the politics. 616 00:26:13,605 --> 00:26:16,308 I think it's because of the political division 617 00:26:16,308 --> 00:26:18,076 that the country is facing, 618 00:26:18,076 --> 00:26:20,478 we didn't have that 10 years ago. 619 00:26:20,478 --> 00:26:23,815 It was more of if or why she should fight. 620 00:26:23,815 --> 00:26:25,951 But now they're bringing in more of the politics into it. 621 00:26:25,951 --> 00:26:29,354 - I think over the last 10 years in social media 622 00:26:29,354 --> 00:26:30,889 has certainly heightened all issues. 623 00:26:30,889 --> 00:26:33,692 So why would this one not be included? 624 00:26:33,692 --> 00:26:38,730 However, it also heightens the amount of notoriety, 625 00:26:39,397 --> 00:26:40,498 acceptability too. 626 00:26:40,498 --> 00:26:42,334 You know, there's a yin and yang, 627 00:26:42,334 --> 00:26:44,135 with social media, you know, 628 00:26:44,135 --> 00:26:45,737 you get a lot of people know about something real quick. 629 00:26:45,737 --> 00:26:47,105 And look, I mean, 630 00:26:47,105 --> 00:26:49,074 we weren't even talking about athletes that were gay 631 00:26:49,074 --> 00:26:50,475 up until four or five years ago. 632 00:26:50,475 --> 00:26:52,377 - In some ways it's gotten better 633 00:26:52,377 --> 00:26:55,780 in that more and more people are out, 634 00:26:55,780 --> 00:26:58,850 more and more people feel safe to come out and move forward. 635 00:26:58,850 --> 00:27:01,987 We are building the society I would've liked to have had 636 00:27:01,987 --> 00:27:03,588 when I was 15, 16 years old. 637 00:27:03,588 --> 00:27:04,856 - The younger generation 638 00:27:04,856 --> 00:27:09,027 is just far more open and inclusive. 639 00:27:09,027 --> 00:27:12,163 What we're seeing in terms of the pushback 640 00:27:12,163 --> 00:27:16,034 is so rarely with young people, it's mostly with adults. 641 00:27:16,034 --> 00:27:17,435 - Every single girl in fighting 642 00:27:17,435 --> 00:27:21,006 I've talked to is strongly against trans and trans MMA. 643 00:27:21,006 --> 00:27:23,575 I think girls don't like getting involved with politics, 644 00:27:23,575 --> 00:27:25,076 rightfully so, it's kind of a man's job, 645 00:27:25,076 --> 00:27:26,845 so they really don't like speaking up on it. 646 00:27:26,845 --> 00:27:28,880 But it's unfortunately in this situation, 647 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:30,215 I think they're kind of cornered 648 00:27:30,215 --> 00:27:31,216 where they're gonna have to start speaking out. 649 00:27:31,216 --> 00:27:32,684 - I think it comes from naivety. 650 00:27:32,684 --> 00:27:34,753 I think a lot of men have not really watched 651 00:27:34,753 --> 00:27:36,888 a lot of women athlete events. 652 00:27:36,888 --> 00:27:39,591 There's always positives and there's always negatives. 653 00:27:39,591 --> 00:27:42,494 And the tradition is to focus on the negatives. 654 00:27:42,494 --> 00:27:44,696 - The problem is though, when you make progress like that, 655 00:27:44,696 --> 00:27:46,564 there's always going to be backlash. 656 00:27:46,564 --> 00:27:49,034 And oftentimes, history has shown us, 657 00:27:49,034 --> 00:27:53,238 that that backlash can be very violent, can be very sudden, 658 00:27:53,238 --> 00:27:55,106 and can be very panicked. 659 00:27:55,106 --> 00:27:56,408 Take it as a sign of hope, 660 00:27:56,408 --> 00:27:57,709 because that's a symbol 661 00:27:57,709 --> 00:27:59,244 that they're losing and they know it, 662 00:27:59,244 --> 00:28:01,846 and they need one last shot at the buzzer. 663 00:28:01,846 --> 00:28:05,617 - [Announcer #1] Fallon "Queen of Swords" Fox. 664 00:28:05,617 --> 00:28:08,386 - Fallon Fox and I had connected on social media 665 00:28:08,386 --> 00:28:11,122 like back in like 2014, 2013, 666 00:28:11,122 --> 00:28:12,123 something like that. 667 00:28:12,123 --> 00:28:14,359 And it was mostly because, you know, 668 00:28:14,359 --> 00:28:17,295 there for a while if you were trans on the internet, 669 00:28:17,295 --> 00:28:19,431 it was a pretty small community. 670 00:28:19,431 --> 00:28:21,132 And then someone who was, you know, 671 00:28:21,132 --> 00:28:23,301 I wasn't as prominent as Fallon was, 672 00:28:23,301 --> 00:28:24,936 but there's not 673 00:28:24,936 --> 00:28:28,039 a lot of former special forces trans women either. 674 00:28:28,039 --> 00:28:31,209 So I had gotten a little bit of attention, 675 00:28:31,209 --> 00:28:32,744 like recognition for that. 676 00:28:32,744 --> 00:28:35,046 So Fallon and I knew of each other. 677 00:28:35,046 --> 00:28:36,514 And I think I had actually told Fallon 678 00:28:36,514 --> 00:28:38,183 I wanted to make her a sword, 679 00:28:38,183 --> 00:28:39,884 'cause you know, her name for fighting, 680 00:28:39,884 --> 00:28:41,986 you know, was the Queen of Swords. 681 00:28:41,986 --> 00:28:44,222 - She appreciated my fighting 682 00:28:44,222 --> 00:28:47,525 and we became Facebook friends, and you know, 683 00:28:47,525 --> 00:28:48,760 we've been chatting ever since. 684 00:28:48,760 --> 00:28:49,728 - And she's like, "You know, 685 00:28:49,728 --> 00:28:50,695 you could do this?" 686 00:28:50,695 --> 00:28:52,230 It was 2020, I think, 687 00:28:52,230 --> 00:28:54,899 it was like right before the pandemic hit, 688 00:28:55,700 --> 00:28:57,836 right before COVID 19. 689 00:28:57,836 --> 00:28:59,037 I'd flown out to Chicago 690 00:28:59,037 --> 00:29:00,338 and I trained with her a little bit, 691 00:29:00,338 --> 00:29:03,608 and I think she was feeling me out to see 692 00:29:03,608 --> 00:29:05,009 what kind of potential I had. 693 00:29:06,411 --> 00:29:10,915 - The more minorities that you have competing in a sport, 694 00:29:12,784 --> 00:29:14,919 such as this situation 695 00:29:14,919 --> 00:29:19,124 where people like are hating against the minority group, 696 00:29:19,124 --> 00:29:22,093 it's better to have more minority groups 697 00:29:22,093 --> 00:29:23,161 out there competing. 698 00:29:23,161 --> 00:29:26,030 And that way people can see, you know, 699 00:29:26,030 --> 00:29:27,866 that they're just like everybody else 700 00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:30,001 and that they belong in this sport. 701 00:29:31,169 --> 00:29:33,071 - [Narrator #9] The 17-year-old Dallas area 702 00:29:33,071 --> 00:29:34,405 high school student won the title of champion 703 00:29:34,405 --> 00:29:36,541 in the girls state wrestling competition Saturday. 704 00:29:36,541 --> 00:29:38,343 A mix of cheers and boos 705 00:29:38,343 --> 00:29:41,379 directed at the wrestler as he fell to his knees. 706 00:29:41,379 --> 00:29:42,847 (suspenseful music) 707 00:29:42,847 --> 00:29:46,785 - I want trans girls that are in like school now, 708 00:29:46,785 --> 00:29:49,020 I want everyone that comes after me 709 00:29:49,020 --> 00:29:50,955 to not have to deal with the same fucking bullshit 710 00:29:50,955 --> 00:29:52,557 I've had to deal with. 711 00:29:52,557 --> 00:29:53,758 Like, I want a better world 712 00:29:53,758 --> 00:29:55,426 for the people that come after me. 713 00:29:55,426 --> 00:29:58,530 And apparently that's a weird thing to want these days. 714 00:29:58,530 --> 00:30:00,999 You know, in American culture 715 00:30:00,999 --> 00:30:02,400 we've got this idea of pulling up 716 00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:03,568 the fucking ladder behind us. 717 00:30:03,568 --> 00:30:04,769 You know, you look at, 718 00:30:05,837 --> 00:30:07,472 you know, I don't want to be like, 719 00:30:07,472 --> 00:30:08,673 oh, you know, 720 00:30:08,673 --> 00:30:10,041 the baby boomers ruined everything. 721 00:30:10,041 --> 00:30:13,845 But I mean, who can afford a house now? 722 00:30:13,845 --> 00:30:15,213 You know, nobody. 723 00:30:15,213 --> 00:30:16,548 You know, the climate's collapsing, 724 00:30:16,548 --> 00:30:18,183 the world's on fire and flooding, 725 00:30:18,183 --> 00:30:19,817 and we're just supposed to be okay 726 00:30:19,817 --> 00:30:22,287 with this and keep going to work. 727 00:30:22,287 --> 00:30:24,189 You know, like, this is the kind of shit that pisses me off. 728 00:30:24,189 --> 00:30:27,192 I wanna see a better world when I'm gone. 729 00:30:30,728 --> 00:30:34,766 (presenter speaking in Spanish) 730 00:30:40,638 --> 00:30:45,310 (upbeat music) (crowds yelling) 731 00:30:48,112 --> 00:30:49,314 - [Narrator #10] Two great fighters right here. 732 00:30:49,314 --> 00:30:51,616 Two guys putting it all out there. 733 00:30:51,616 --> 00:30:56,354 (presenter speaking in Spanish) 734 00:30:56,354 --> 00:30:59,224 (crowds yelling) 735 00:31:00,291 --> 00:31:02,493 - Holy cow. - Cunningham's come alive, 736 00:31:02,493 --> 00:31:04,796 like Peter Frampton. 737 00:31:04,796 --> 00:31:09,801 (upbeat music) (crowds yelling) 738 00:31:10,702 --> 00:31:11,636 - I really created this company 739 00:31:11,636 --> 00:31:14,739 to give people an opportunity. 740 00:31:14,739 --> 00:31:18,743 And there were a number of athletes, a number of countries, 741 00:31:18,743 --> 00:31:20,678 a number of groups of people 742 00:31:20,678 --> 00:31:24,015 that were being overlooked, for whatever reasons. 743 00:31:24,015 --> 00:31:27,151 And Combate was formed to give those athletes 744 00:31:27,151 --> 00:31:29,320 and those audiences a chance 745 00:31:29,320 --> 00:31:31,589 to have their own version of MMA. 746 00:31:31,589 --> 00:31:33,758 - [Alana] Let me introduce you to Campbell McLaren, 747 00:31:33,758 --> 00:31:36,027 CEO and founder of Combate Global. 748 00:31:36,027 --> 00:31:37,595 He's been around since the beginning of what we know 749 00:31:37,595 --> 00:31:38,930 as modern MMA. 750 00:31:38,930 --> 00:31:42,200 In 1993, he co-founded the UFC. 751 00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:45,103 He marketed the first UFC shows and was a tireless promoter. 752 00:31:46,437 --> 00:31:48,373 He tried to get Fallon Fox back in the cage, 753 00:31:48,373 --> 00:31:50,174 or La Jaula for Combate, 754 00:31:50,174 --> 00:31:51,976 but she told them she was outta the fight game 755 00:31:51,976 --> 00:31:53,711 because of her bad knees. 756 00:31:53,711 --> 00:31:55,913 She gave them my name while she was convincing me 757 00:31:55,913 --> 00:31:57,982 that I had what it takes to make it in MMA. 758 00:31:59,183 --> 00:32:00,652 I'd say the timing worked out perfectly, 759 00:32:00,652 --> 00:32:03,955 if it weren't for an unprecedented global pandemic. 760 00:32:03,955 --> 00:32:05,990 (dial tone droning) 761 00:32:05,990 --> 00:32:07,625 - [Mike] Hey, Alana, 762 00:32:07,625 --> 00:32:09,527 this is Mike Afrmowitz from Combate Americas, how are you? 763 00:32:09,527 --> 00:32:10,762 Pro debuts, you know, 764 00:32:10,762 --> 00:32:12,830 typically it's very different from, 765 00:32:12,830 --> 00:32:14,432 you know, training in the gym, 766 00:32:14,432 --> 00:32:17,268 from sparring, very different from even amateur fights. 767 00:32:17,268 --> 00:32:19,537 You know, when those lights go on, 768 00:32:19,537 --> 00:32:21,306 you know, typically sometimes fighters, 769 00:32:21,306 --> 00:32:22,807 they tense up. 770 00:32:22,807 --> 00:32:27,111 But you know, that's something you just need to be aware of 771 00:32:27,111 --> 00:32:28,813 and prepare yourself more mentally, so. 772 00:32:28,813 --> 00:32:31,349 - Yeah, definitely like, I'm ready. 773 00:32:31,349 --> 00:32:33,651 - [Mike] What weight will you be fighting at. 774 00:32:33,651 --> 00:32:35,586 - 145. - Okay, yeah, 775 00:32:35,586 --> 00:32:36,854 that's what I thought. 776 00:32:36,854 --> 00:32:37,722 (gentle instrumental music) 777 00:32:37,722 --> 00:32:38,656 Well, there it is, 778 00:32:38,656 --> 00:32:40,425 my shot at another career, 779 00:32:40,425 --> 00:32:43,628 this time a professional mixed martial arts fighter. 780 00:32:43,628 --> 00:32:45,163 Is this some sort of PR stunt 781 00:32:45,163 --> 00:32:46,497 or is there another motive here? 782 00:32:46,497 --> 00:32:48,433 At least I know Fallon has my back. 783 00:32:48,433 --> 00:32:50,969 That's the thing, every fight promotion's a PR thing. 784 00:32:50,969 --> 00:32:52,737 You know, and I think with MMA 785 00:32:52,737 --> 00:32:54,839 they've had a fine line to tread because, you know, 786 00:32:54,839 --> 00:32:57,709 you remember back in the '90s it was human fighting. 787 00:32:57,709 --> 00:33:00,345 It was a blood sport, it was banned in most states. 788 00:33:01,546 --> 00:33:04,282 And now they're trying to tread that line 789 00:33:04,282 --> 00:33:07,318 between legitimate sport and spectacle, 790 00:33:07,318 --> 00:33:09,921 because let's be real, you know, 791 00:33:09,921 --> 00:33:11,422 when you think about mixed martial arts, 792 00:33:11,422 --> 00:33:12,657 you're not thinking about it the way 793 00:33:12,657 --> 00:33:14,325 you think about football, or basketball, 794 00:33:14,325 --> 00:33:15,360 or something. 795 00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:16,761 You know, people that are fight fans, 796 00:33:16,761 --> 00:33:18,162 they want to see blood. 797 00:33:18,162 --> 00:33:20,131 - You look for a fighter 798 00:33:20,131 --> 00:33:22,433 that you can really create a story about, 799 00:33:22,433 --> 00:33:25,470 and hopefully buzz, and hopefully hype, 800 00:33:25,470 --> 00:33:28,239 and get people interested in a particular fight. 801 00:33:28,239 --> 00:33:30,008 That's what a promoter does. 802 00:33:30,008 --> 00:33:32,076 And for me it's a ton of fun. 803 00:33:32,076 --> 00:33:34,512 With Alana, it was a very, 804 00:33:34,512 --> 00:33:36,981 very different approach. 805 00:33:39,217 --> 00:33:43,621 There's so much hate 806 00:33:43,621 --> 00:33:47,725 around transgender athletes that I didn't want to go 807 00:33:47,725 --> 00:33:51,662 into it in a way that was going to cause a stir. 808 00:33:52,730 --> 00:33:55,199 Alana's had enough trouble from people 809 00:33:55,199 --> 00:33:57,902 that don't think she should even exist, 810 00:33:57,902 --> 00:34:02,874 that I didn't wanna put a giant target on her back. 811 00:34:06,044 --> 00:34:07,812 - [Narrator #11] Broadcasting from the heart of Portland, 812 00:34:07,812 --> 00:34:09,447 rise and shine everyone, 813 00:34:09,447 --> 00:34:12,183 and get ready to rock your morning blues away. 814 00:34:12,183 --> 00:34:14,719 - I'd say cue the inspirational training montage, 815 00:34:14,719 --> 00:34:17,522 but unfortunately it doesn't work like that. 816 00:34:17,522 --> 00:34:19,991 Combate Global offered me a fight down in Miami, 817 00:34:19,991 --> 00:34:22,093 ironically my dad's hometown, 818 00:34:22,093 --> 00:34:24,862 but without having an opponent lined up yet. 819 00:34:24,862 --> 00:34:26,464 So my plan is to get in shape 820 00:34:26,464 --> 00:34:28,299 and work on my technique in the meantime, 821 00:34:28,299 --> 00:34:30,435 which takes me to my next problem. 822 00:34:30,435 --> 00:34:33,037 There's no MMA in Portland that will train me. 823 00:34:33,871 --> 00:34:35,173 Time to hurry up and wait. 824 00:34:36,074 --> 00:34:37,508 - Alright, well, 825 00:34:37,508 --> 00:34:39,911 today we'll get our feet and our hands warmed up. 826 00:34:40,778 --> 00:34:42,146 Maybe jump rope a little bit. 827 00:34:42,146 --> 00:34:43,981 - Hmm. - And then work on 828 00:34:43,981 --> 00:34:45,983 some of your power shots, wanna work on your upper cut 829 00:34:45,983 --> 00:34:47,151 and your right hook. 830 00:34:47,151 --> 00:34:48,786 - Alright. - But in between 831 00:34:48,786 --> 00:34:52,490 I wanna work on double jab too. 832 00:34:52,490 --> 00:34:53,791 - Okay. - Trying to get in. 833 00:34:53,791 --> 00:34:56,160 - Yeah, 'cause right now I'm still just like, 834 00:34:56,160 --> 00:34:58,362 I mean, I'm basically trans girl Tank Abbott. 835 00:34:58,362 --> 00:34:59,464 Just, "What's your style?" 836 00:34:59,464 --> 00:35:01,632 "Pit fighting." - It's hard. 837 00:35:02,800 --> 00:35:04,068 Learning skills are hard. 838 00:35:06,103 --> 00:35:07,105 - Alright. - Let's get to it. 839 00:35:08,239 --> 00:35:13,244 (Alana exhaling) (blows thudding) 840 00:35:14,479 --> 00:35:15,546 Breathe. 841 00:35:15,546 --> 00:35:16,380 Go. 842 00:35:17,148 --> 00:35:18,749 One at a time. 843 00:35:18,749 --> 00:35:21,552 So we're gonna breathe until you feel like you're recharged, 844 00:35:21,552 --> 00:35:23,254 - Okay. - and throw another hard one. 845 00:35:24,722 --> 00:35:25,656 Okay. 846 00:35:25,656 --> 00:35:26,324 - I mean, let's be real, 847 00:35:26,324 --> 00:35:27,525 when it comes to sports, 848 00:35:27,525 --> 00:35:28,493 the thing that people are off about 849 00:35:28,493 --> 00:35:29,861 is trans women being included. 850 00:35:29,861 --> 00:35:32,597 We had Laurel Hubbard at the Olympics, Lia Thomas, 851 00:35:32,597 --> 00:35:35,533 but the pushback has been worse than I expected. 852 00:35:35,533 --> 00:35:38,336 There is a concentrated group, like, 853 00:35:38,336 --> 00:35:40,505 a very vocal group pushing really hard 854 00:35:40,505 --> 00:35:42,340 for trans women to be excluded. 855 00:35:42,340 --> 00:35:43,875 - He can take his male body 856 00:35:43,875 --> 00:35:46,544 and compete against other male bodies, and fair enough. 857 00:35:46,544 --> 00:35:48,045 And then can go dress how he wants 858 00:35:48,045 --> 00:35:50,414 and act how he wants in his personal life, no problem. 859 00:35:50,414 --> 00:35:53,050 - Males do have a performance advantage 860 00:35:53,050 --> 00:35:55,052 that's based on their biological sex. 861 00:35:55,052 --> 00:35:56,754 Picking testosterone is a red herring, 862 00:35:56,754 --> 00:35:59,290 I mean, we are forgetting about the anatomy, 863 00:35:59,290 --> 00:36:03,794 the fast-twitch muscle, the bigger organs. 864 00:36:03,794 --> 00:36:07,131 - For the people who are pushing this level of hysteria, 865 00:36:07,131 --> 00:36:08,699 it isn't about sports at all. 866 00:36:08,699 --> 00:36:09,901 It's about the erasure 867 00:36:09,901 --> 00:36:12,270 of transgender people from society as a whole. 868 00:36:12,270 --> 00:36:13,538 - We're being told that trans women 869 00:36:13,538 --> 00:36:14,972 should not be allowed to compete 870 00:36:14,972 --> 00:36:16,307 because we are actually men. 871 00:36:16,307 --> 00:36:18,843 And it's not fucking true, it's not true. 872 00:36:18,843 --> 00:36:21,946 - In many ways, this is no different than the hysteria 873 00:36:21,946 --> 00:36:26,150 we saw about gay and lesbian people in the 1970s and 1980s 874 00:36:26,150 --> 00:36:27,385 that have just been repackaged 875 00:36:27,385 --> 00:36:29,887 and repurposed for a new time and the new target. 876 00:36:29,887 --> 00:36:33,357 - The conversation and emphasis on trans athletes 877 00:36:33,357 --> 00:36:38,362 has been part of a much longer political strategy 878 00:36:39,530 --> 00:36:42,266 to try to center and dehumanize trans people 879 00:36:42,266 --> 00:36:43,768 in the US and globally. 880 00:36:43,768 --> 00:36:46,571 Many news outlets, many academics have written 881 00:36:46,571 --> 00:36:49,440 about the way in which trans people 882 00:36:49,440 --> 00:36:52,109 and trans athletes specifically are being used 883 00:36:52,109 --> 00:36:53,511 as a political tool. 884 00:36:53,511 --> 00:36:54,745 - MMA is probably one of the sports 885 00:36:54,745 --> 00:36:56,480 where people are most gonna be off 886 00:36:56,480 --> 00:36:58,049 about a trans woman participating 887 00:36:58,049 --> 00:37:00,051 because of the violent aspect 888 00:37:00,051 --> 00:37:01,052 of the sport in the first place. 889 00:37:01,052 --> 00:37:02,320 - You know, I have a daughter, 890 00:37:02,320 --> 00:37:03,287 I have, you know, 891 00:37:03,287 --> 00:37:04,822 mother, girls I love, 892 00:37:04,822 --> 00:37:07,592 and it's just to watch what a man can do to a girl, 893 00:37:07,592 --> 00:37:09,827 it's something that I don't feel like I could watch. 894 00:37:09,827 --> 00:37:13,664 Alana says she's a woman and has some estrogen, 895 00:37:13,664 --> 00:37:15,800 but the truth is, she was born a man, 896 00:37:15,800 --> 00:37:19,670 she grew up a man, she has the lungs of a man, 897 00:37:19,670 --> 00:37:21,739 the skulls of a man, she has the body of a man. 898 00:37:21,739 --> 00:37:23,174 So, you know, 899 00:37:23,174 --> 00:37:24,675 maybe she feels like a woman inside, but she's just not. 900 00:37:24,675 --> 00:37:26,143 - They make all these bullshit arguments about, 901 00:37:26,143 --> 00:37:27,745 "Oh, you know, 902 00:37:27,745 --> 00:37:28,613 you have these unfair advantages, and bone density, 903 00:37:28,613 --> 00:37:30,114 and all this", fuck that, 904 00:37:31,248 --> 00:37:33,317 it is not held up by scientific inquiry. 905 00:37:33,317 --> 00:37:34,518 You know, in fact, 906 00:37:35,987 --> 00:37:37,588 I've seen studies that show trans women as a population. 907 00:37:37,588 --> 00:37:39,824 I'm not sure why, don't know if it's sociological factors 908 00:37:39,824 --> 00:37:41,759 as opposed to physical, but like trans women 909 00:37:41,759 --> 00:37:45,830 as a population statistically have lower bone density 910 00:37:45,830 --> 00:37:49,100 than cisgender women, and I would say 911 00:37:49,100 --> 00:37:51,435 it's probably economic issues more than anything. 912 00:37:51,435 --> 00:37:53,771 - People are really misinformed about this, 913 00:37:53,771 --> 00:37:57,975 and they come at it from a position of anger, emotion, 914 00:37:57,975 --> 00:38:00,244 hate, whether it's religious, 915 00:38:00,244 --> 00:38:02,780 or philosophical, or political. 916 00:38:02,780 --> 00:38:05,216 I think they don't really understand what's going on here. 917 00:38:05,216 --> 00:38:10,054 When people first hear transgender fighter, former military, 918 00:38:10,054 --> 00:38:11,355 they're like, 919 00:38:11,355 --> 00:38:13,057 "No, we don't want that. 920 00:38:13,057 --> 00:38:15,393 We don't need that, we don't think that should even exist." 921 00:38:15,393 --> 00:38:19,030 - Anyway, not great news. 922 00:38:19,030 --> 00:38:23,300 Had the fight fall through again, no opponent again. 923 00:38:26,904 --> 00:38:29,440 But it was nice to actually hear something. 924 00:38:29,440 --> 00:38:33,778 So even though we're looking at June 25th now, 925 00:38:33,778 --> 00:38:37,281 which is a day before I turned 38, for fucks sake. 926 00:38:37,281 --> 00:38:38,616 Fallon just messaged me, said, 927 00:38:38,616 --> 00:38:40,718 "Please knock people out with those knees." 928 00:38:43,721 --> 00:38:47,391 (blows thudding) (Alana exhaling) 929 00:38:47,391 --> 00:38:50,561 - I'm really struggling to get through this fucking workout. 930 00:38:53,931 --> 00:38:55,366 Fuck. 931 00:38:55,366 --> 00:38:58,736 - What Alana is describing and going through right now 932 00:38:58,736 --> 00:39:01,939 in terms of difficulty finding a coach, 933 00:39:01,939 --> 00:39:06,377 can't find somebody to fight her, can't find other folks 934 00:39:06,377 --> 00:39:11,549 or allies locally to really support her in a real way. 935 00:39:12,950 --> 00:39:15,820 That is something that every single one of the athletes 936 00:39:15,820 --> 00:39:18,022 we're in contact with have that same issue. 937 00:39:18,022 --> 00:39:19,523 - Process of getting in the gym for Alana 938 00:39:19,523 --> 00:39:21,592 was not an easy one. 939 00:39:21,592 --> 00:39:24,562 There were a lot that they didn't wanna accept her. 940 00:39:24,562 --> 00:39:27,698 - The fact that it's hard for her to get 941 00:39:27,698 --> 00:39:30,935 a place to train where she feels comfortable, 942 00:39:30,935 --> 00:39:33,204 where she feels welcome is something 943 00:39:33,204 --> 00:39:36,373 that weighs heavy on her a lot. 944 00:39:37,241 --> 00:39:39,777 But she still figures it out. 945 00:39:39,777 --> 00:39:42,680 (blows thudding) 946 00:39:43,714 --> 00:39:45,249 - MMA, the sport, it's weird anyway. 947 00:39:45,249 --> 00:39:49,120 There's tons of people that are addicted to testosterone 948 00:39:49,120 --> 00:39:50,488 or they're doing EPO. 949 00:39:50,488 --> 00:39:52,890 There's weight cutting, there's rampant steroid use. 950 00:39:52,890 --> 00:39:54,925 - There's a hypocrisy surrounding trans athletes 951 00:39:54,925 --> 00:39:56,961 that's impossible to ignore. 952 00:39:56,961 --> 00:39:58,262 Caitlyn Jenner says trans women 953 00:39:58,262 --> 00:40:00,097 shouldn't participate in women's sports, 954 00:40:00,097 --> 00:40:03,234 but she herself competed in a women's golf tournament. 955 00:40:03,234 --> 00:40:05,936 Jake Shields complains that I have unfair advantages, 956 00:40:05,936 --> 00:40:08,973 but he's been suspended for using band substances. 957 00:40:08,973 --> 00:40:14,011 - People wanna focus on trans fighters because it's easy. 958 00:40:15,212 --> 00:40:19,016 It's easy to say that this person is doing it 959 00:40:19,650 --> 00:40:21,252 to have an edge. 960 00:40:21,252 --> 00:40:22,953 - All the people that tell me I should have to fight men, 961 00:40:22,953 --> 00:40:26,157 I legally couldn't and it be sanctioned, you know? 962 00:40:26,157 --> 00:40:29,627 By every legal standard I'm a woman. 963 00:40:29,627 --> 00:40:32,163 You know, my hormones are where they're supposed to be. 964 00:40:32,163 --> 00:40:34,131 My birth certificate, driver's license, 965 00:40:34,131 --> 00:40:37,268 social security card all say female where it says sex. 966 00:40:37,268 --> 00:40:39,703 I've been open about who I am the fucking whole time, 967 00:40:39,703 --> 00:40:41,105 I've passed every test. 968 00:40:41,105 --> 00:40:43,440 There are plenty of cis women that are doping 969 00:40:43,440 --> 00:40:45,142 that still get to fight. 970 00:40:45,142 --> 00:40:47,945 I invested a lot in not having testosterone in my body. 971 00:40:47,945 --> 00:40:49,914 I'm sure as shit not reintroducing any. 972 00:40:49,914 --> 00:40:51,015 - There's not gonna be real money 973 00:40:51,015 --> 00:40:53,284 or fame for Alana in the end. 974 00:40:53,284 --> 00:40:56,220 She's doing it because she's always been an athlete, 975 00:40:56,220 --> 00:40:58,989 and always been a woman, and wants to fight. 976 00:40:58,989 --> 00:41:02,326 She should be able to do that without this abuse, 977 00:41:02,326 --> 00:41:03,761 without threats online, 978 00:41:03,761 --> 00:41:07,431 without feeling like somebody might kill you any moment. 979 00:41:07,431 --> 00:41:08,532 That's fucked up. 980 00:41:08,532 --> 00:41:10,067 - Trans athletes always have an advantage. 981 00:41:10,067 --> 00:41:11,635 You look at men, they dominate every sports. 982 00:41:11,635 --> 00:41:14,672 That's the reason why we give women's divisions. 983 00:41:14,672 --> 00:41:16,040 By allowing trans, 984 00:41:16,040 --> 00:41:17,541 we're taking away what women work so hard for. 985 00:41:17,541 --> 00:41:19,176 I think people say like, 986 00:41:19,176 --> 00:41:20,845 "Oh, you're not being inclusive in this", 987 00:41:20,845 --> 00:41:22,780 but what about the girls that care? 988 00:41:22,780 --> 00:41:23,681 What about their feelings? 989 00:41:23,681 --> 00:41:25,049 They've worked so hard. 990 00:41:25,049 --> 00:41:27,318 You know, to take their rights over a few people, 991 00:41:27,318 --> 00:41:28,986 to take it from the thousands of women 992 00:41:28,986 --> 00:41:30,487 that work so hard for sports. 993 00:41:30,487 --> 00:41:33,390 That's probably why they should either make a trans league 994 00:41:33,390 --> 00:41:35,192 or compete against men, you know? 995 00:41:35,192 --> 00:41:37,595 - I'm the second openly trans woman in MMA, 996 00:41:37,595 --> 00:41:39,263 who the fuck am I gonna fight? 997 00:41:39,263 --> 00:41:42,433 - I only know one transgender fighter in the entire world. 998 00:41:42,433 --> 00:41:43,300 What is she gonna do? 999 00:41:43,300 --> 00:41:45,069 Shadow box. 1000 00:41:45,069 --> 00:41:48,038 You know, I can't start a league with one person. 1001 00:41:48,038 --> 00:41:52,476 - Women's MMA is barely able to field 1002 00:41:52,476 --> 00:41:54,211 any kind of competition in the first place, 1003 00:41:54,211 --> 00:41:55,913 because it's pretty small as it is. 1004 00:41:55,913 --> 00:41:58,048 You think an even smaller category 1005 00:41:58,048 --> 00:42:00,017 is gonna be able to make it, like, 1006 00:42:00,017 --> 00:42:01,352 that's called segregation, 1007 00:42:01,352 --> 00:42:03,454 and historically it hasn't worked out for people. 1008 00:42:03,454 --> 00:42:05,356 They don't care that women are underpaid, 1009 00:42:05,356 --> 00:42:06,857 they don't care that women don't have access 1010 00:42:06,857 --> 00:42:08,359 to the same facilities. 1011 00:42:08,359 --> 00:42:09,760 They will tell you that women's sports 1012 00:42:09,760 --> 00:42:11,095 aren't as good as men's sport. 1013 00:42:11,095 --> 00:42:12,930 Like, they don't care about women's sports 1014 00:42:12,930 --> 00:42:14,932 until it is an opportunity for them 1015 00:42:14,932 --> 00:42:17,134 to shit on trans women, that's it. 1016 00:42:17,134 --> 00:42:20,271 - So one of the major myths we hear is that. 1017 00:42:20,271 --> 00:42:21,805 - Pretty soon there'll be no women's sports. 1018 00:42:21,805 --> 00:42:25,042 It'll just be men that couldn't hack it as pros, 1019 00:42:25,042 --> 00:42:26,243 they'll switch and become women, 1020 00:42:26,243 --> 00:42:27,845 and they'll go dominate women's sports. 1021 00:42:27,845 --> 00:42:31,315 That'll be the future of women's sports if this keeps going. 1022 00:42:31,315 --> 00:42:34,852 - And that is a major one I wanna debunk right now. 1023 00:42:34,852 --> 00:42:39,023 If we take the Olympics and Paralympics as an example, 1024 00:42:39,023 --> 00:42:41,892 the first transgender policy put forth 1025 00:42:41,892 --> 00:42:44,428 by the IOC was in 2004. 1026 00:42:44,428 --> 00:42:49,233 So between 2004 and the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, 1027 00:42:50,100 --> 00:42:53,003 over 50,000 athletes competed. 1028 00:42:53,003 --> 00:42:56,073 Not a single athlete was openly trans 1029 00:42:56,073 --> 00:42:57,775 until the Tokyo Olympics 1030 00:42:57,775 --> 00:43:02,279 when one openly trans woman competed in weightlifting 1031 00:43:03,647 --> 00:43:06,417 and she did not medal, she could not even finish her lifts. 1032 00:43:07,718 --> 00:43:11,755 1 athlete, 50,000 athletes 1033 00:43:11,755 --> 00:43:13,257 over two decades. 1034 00:43:13,257 --> 00:43:16,026 - We are statistically underrepresented. 1035 00:43:17,127 --> 00:43:18,762 You know, in a more just world, 1036 00:43:18,762 --> 00:43:20,197 there would be people asking questions like, 1037 00:43:20,197 --> 00:43:22,499 "Why aren't there more trans women in sports?" 1038 00:43:22,499 --> 00:43:26,437 - People have a lot of feelings about trans athletes 1039 00:43:27,638 --> 00:43:29,440 and about what they're seeing in the media, 1040 00:43:29,440 --> 00:43:32,109 but it's not actually backed up 1041 00:43:32,109 --> 00:43:35,646 by the facts of what is actually happening. 1042 00:43:35,646 --> 00:43:37,581 Because essentially what we're saying 1043 00:43:37,581 --> 00:43:41,151 when we make these comments about women's sports in general, 1044 00:43:41,151 --> 00:43:42,953 is that we don't believe 1045 00:43:42,953 --> 00:43:45,155 that women can be powerful athletes. 1046 00:43:45,155 --> 00:43:47,758 That if a woman is too fast, too strong, 1047 00:43:47,758 --> 00:43:49,460 too good, too powerful, 1048 00:43:49,460 --> 00:43:51,762 oh, then there's no way she can actually be a woman. 1049 00:43:51,762 --> 00:43:53,797 - I think it's a little bit of a lack of control of the men. 1050 00:43:53,797 --> 00:43:55,432 This was always our thing. 1051 00:43:55,432 --> 00:43:56,800 Now all of a sudden the women are jumping in, 1052 00:43:56,800 --> 00:43:58,869 and they're good, and they're good at it, 1053 00:43:58,869 --> 00:44:02,006 and they're fun to watch, and they're extremely talented, 1054 00:44:02,006 --> 00:44:03,574 worth investing in. 1055 00:44:03,574 --> 00:44:07,845 And that's probably scares a lot of the pro men athletes. 1056 00:44:07,845 --> 00:44:09,680 - I'm hungry. - Yeah, me too. 1057 00:44:09,680 --> 00:44:11,815 What do you wanna get? - I don't know. 1058 00:44:11,815 --> 00:44:14,485 - Tai, Mexican? - Anything. 1059 00:44:14,485 --> 00:44:16,253 I need to watch my weight though. 1060 00:44:16,253 --> 00:44:18,389 - [Alana] You need to watch your weight? 1061 00:44:18,389 --> 00:44:20,257 I'm the one got a fight coming up. 1062 00:44:22,926 --> 00:44:25,262 - Have you heard anything about a new fight yet? 1063 00:44:25,262 --> 00:44:26,797 Like, have they found anything at all or? 1064 00:44:26,797 --> 00:44:28,666 - Like, I don't know who I'll be fighting, 1065 00:44:28,666 --> 00:44:30,401 I don't know when I'll be fighting, 1066 00:44:30,401 --> 00:44:33,670 I just know I'll be going down to train and that's it. 1067 00:44:33,670 --> 00:44:36,006 Like, they've floated a couple people 1068 00:44:36,006 --> 00:44:37,775 who have turned it down. - Yeah. 1069 00:44:37,775 --> 00:44:40,210 - I've been in the business 14 years now, 1070 00:44:40,210 --> 00:44:41,945 in the fight business 20 years, 1071 00:44:41,945 --> 00:44:44,548 and I've never had a more challenging task 1072 00:44:44,548 --> 00:44:47,818 than finding Alana McLaughlin an opponent. 1073 00:44:47,818 --> 00:44:51,188 - A lot of us have been trained to protect women 1074 00:44:51,188 --> 00:44:53,123 as men protecting women. 1075 00:44:53,123 --> 00:44:54,425 And I think that really comes out 1076 00:44:54,425 --> 00:44:56,427 in the traditional business of fighting. 1077 00:44:56,427 --> 00:44:58,829 So I think the male coaches, the male trainers 1078 00:44:58,829 --> 00:45:01,498 are very protective of their girl fighters. 1079 00:45:02,866 --> 00:45:07,004 And the idea of the girl they're protecting fighting this, 1080 00:45:07,004 --> 00:45:10,407 however they think of a transgender fighter, 1081 00:45:11,275 --> 00:45:12,376 they just don't want to do it. 1082 00:45:12,376 --> 00:45:14,578 We couldn't find an opponent. 1083 00:45:14,578 --> 00:45:17,481 The fight community was really against it. 1084 00:45:17,481 --> 00:45:19,883 - I don't care what you want to do to yourself, 1085 00:45:19,883 --> 00:45:22,152 go crazy, change whatever you wanna change, 1086 00:45:22,152 --> 00:45:23,320 whatever makes you happy, go for it, 1087 00:45:23,320 --> 00:45:24,288 I don't care. 1088 00:45:25,322 --> 00:45:26,423 When it comes to fighting and competing, 1089 00:45:26,423 --> 00:45:27,825 I think it's a complete different story, 1090 00:45:27,825 --> 00:45:31,495 and I think it shouldn't be allowed. 1091 00:45:31,495 --> 00:45:35,432 (Jasmin speaking in Spanish) 1092 00:45:40,838 --> 00:45:42,840 - The reactions range from, 1093 00:45:42,840 --> 00:45:46,477 "I don't believe in transgender fighters 1094 00:45:46,477 --> 00:45:47,711 being allowed to compete" 1095 00:45:49,046 --> 00:45:52,850 to "How could you even ask me this question?" 1096 00:45:52,850 --> 00:45:55,052 You know, there were people that were offended. 1097 00:45:55,052 --> 00:45:57,287 - My luck, they'll put me up against fucking Cris Cyborg 1098 00:45:57,287 --> 00:45:59,423 or some shit and I'll just get 1099 00:45:59,423 --> 00:46:01,892 trashed a bit. - Well, I hope not 1100 00:46:01,892 --> 00:46:04,361 for your sake, you know? - Yeah, I hope not too. 1101 00:46:04,361 --> 00:46:05,863 - Yeah, cool. 1102 00:46:07,131 --> 00:46:08,298 Well, I mean, I'm glad that, 1103 00:46:08,298 --> 00:46:10,234 you know, there's talk about it, 1104 00:46:10,234 --> 00:46:12,302 but hopefully you'll land something soon. 1105 00:46:12,302 --> 00:46:13,737 - Yeah, hopefully. - Yeah. 1106 00:46:13,737 --> 00:46:16,173 - Fingers crossed. - I'm sure you will. 1107 00:46:16,173 --> 00:46:17,708 - Yeah. - One of the first times 1108 00:46:17,708 --> 00:46:20,043 where I actually spent some quality time with Alana, 1109 00:46:20,043 --> 00:46:22,179 walked into like a local cidery, 1110 00:46:22,179 --> 00:46:23,914 and then we were talking, you know, 1111 00:46:23,914 --> 00:46:28,318 and she goes, "Hey, have you seen my, 1112 00:46:28,318 --> 00:46:30,053 you know, pre-transition pictures?" 1113 00:46:30,053 --> 00:46:32,923 She showed me and and I go, 1114 00:46:32,923 --> 00:46:35,359 "Oh yeah, 1115 00:46:35,359 --> 00:46:38,128 I don't know that person, you know?" 1116 00:46:38,128 --> 00:46:39,229 And she goes, 1117 00:46:40,397 --> 00:46:42,065 "Yeah, I don't think I really did either." 1118 00:46:42,065 --> 00:46:44,802 - She's a fighter at her core, 1119 00:46:44,802 --> 00:46:48,238 but she's also one of the sweetest people I know. 1120 00:46:48,238 --> 00:46:50,607 If someone needed housing, 1121 00:46:50,607 --> 00:46:53,110 she always had her couch available, 1122 00:46:53,110 --> 00:46:56,113 she would give them her own bed if they needed. 1123 00:46:56,113 --> 00:46:58,482 You know, she's always been there for people 1124 00:46:58,482 --> 00:46:59,850 when they're at their lowest. 1125 00:46:59,850 --> 00:47:01,818 - [Alana] But now you were asking about the pie, 1126 00:47:01,818 --> 00:47:03,587 I've done two in the past couple days. 1127 00:47:03,587 --> 00:47:04,288 - Oh really? 1128 00:47:04,288 --> 00:47:05,722 Oh good. - Amazing. 1129 00:47:05,722 --> 00:47:06,757 - See, I was wondering if I had the opportunity 1130 00:47:06,757 --> 00:47:07,758 to bring that up. - Well, listen, 1131 00:47:07,758 --> 00:47:08,792 really, what's wrong with that? 1132 00:47:08,792 --> 00:47:09,960 - No, you make pies for everyone. 1133 00:47:09,960 --> 00:47:11,261 - I do, I do. - Yeah. 1134 00:47:12,229 --> 00:47:14,231 - And then before that I did one. 1135 00:47:14,231 --> 00:47:17,935 (gentle instrumental music) 1136 00:47:28,912 --> 00:47:33,050 I've always wanted somewhere kind of comfortable and just, 1137 00:47:33,050 --> 00:47:35,052 I don't know, comfortable and nice where I can just relax 1138 00:47:35,052 --> 00:47:38,488 and don't have to worry about all the bullshit, you know? 1139 00:47:38,488 --> 00:47:39,990 A forever home, you know, 1140 00:47:39,990 --> 00:47:41,925 like I'm some kind of stray cat. 1141 00:47:43,126 --> 00:47:45,696 But no, I just want a little place of my own, 1142 00:47:45,696 --> 00:47:47,464 you know, I like woods and trees, 1143 00:47:47,464 --> 00:47:49,466 and I'd like to have a pointy little house 1144 00:47:49,466 --> 00:47:52,436 with maybe a couple goats and some chickens. 1145 00:47:53,303 --> 00:47:54,838 I'd like to keep bees, I think. 1146 00:47:56,106 --> 00:47:58,842 And for hedges out front, I want wild roses 1147 00:47:58,842 --> 00:48:00,444 and blackberry bushes. 1148 00:48:00,444 --> 00:48:02,045 Baking can absolutely be relaxing 1149 00:48:02,045 --> 00:48:04,615 as long as you're not messing up your recipe, 1150 00:48:04,615 --> 00:48:07,551 then it is substantially less relaxing. 1151 00:48:07,551 --> 00:48:09,987 But no, it's enjoyable for me. 1152 00:48:11,221 --> 00:48:14,391 There's no pressure and just make something sweet, 1153 00:48:14,391 --> 00:48:15,692 and nice, and pretty, 1154 00:48:15,692 --> 00:48:18,395 and share it with my friends. 1155 00:48:18,395 --> 00:48:21,999 (gentle instrumental music) 1156 00:48:34,845 --> 00:48:38,015 Just when I think I can relax and enjoy my blackberry pie, 1157 00:48:38,015 --> 00:48:39,349 the Internet's blowing up. 1158 00:48:40,484 --> 00:48:41,618 It's wild how much things have changed 1159 00:48:41,618 --> 00:48:43,754 since those early days on Tumblr, 1160 00:48:43,754 --> 00:48:45,689 it almost feels like a more innocent time 1161 00:48:45,689 --> 00:48:47,891 compared to the posts and comments I see now. 1162 00:48:48,859 --> 00:48:51,762 When Fallon was fighting in 2014, 1163 00:48:51,762 --> 00:48:52,596 a lot of people being transphobic, 1164 00:48:52,596 --> 00:48:54,064 it was just out of ignorance 1165 00:48:54,064 --> 00:48:56,466 because they didn't really know any better. 1166 00:48:57,801 --> 00:49:01,338 Now, I would say the landscape has shifted in that 1167 00:49:02,572 --> 00:49:06,043 as soon as right wingers, as soon as Republicans 1168 00:49:06,043 --> 00:49:08,712 lost the marriage equality fight in the Supreme Court, 1169 00:49:08,712 --> 00:49:10,547 they shifted their focus 1170 00:49:10,547 --> 00:49:11,882 and they knew trans people were gonna be 1171 00:49:11,882 --> 00:49:13,984 their best shot at a new boogeyman. 1172 00:49:13,984 --> 00:49:16,653 Half of the people that I've been face to face with 1173 00:49:16,653 --> 00:49:18,588 in the streets are in jail right now 1174 00:49:18,588 --> 00:49:21,291 for trying to storm the Capitol on January 6th. 1175 00:49:21,291 --> 00:49:23,160 What happens is, you know, 1176 00:49:23,160 --> 00:49:25,929 you see flyers for a bunch of fucking right wing shitheads 1177 00:49:25,929 --> 00:49:27,431 saying they're gonna fly into town 1178 00:49:27,431 --> 00:49:30,100 and cleanse the streets of Portland with fire. 1179 00:49:30,100 --> 00:49:31,601 And then everybody in the community goes, 1180 00:49:31,601 --> 00:49:32,602 "Oh, this is fucked up, 1181 00:49:32,602 --> 00:49:34,171 we can't let them do this." 1182 00:49:34,171 --> 00:49:36,940 And then everybody shows up, and that's how that goes. 1183 00:49:36,940 --> 00:49:39,843 I've actually had three friends die. 1184 00:49:39,843 --> 00:49:42,546 I had another friend get stabbed in the neck. 1185 00:49:42,546 --> 00:49:44,147 It was fucking dangerous. 1186 00:49:44,147 --> 00:49:46,350 You know, like I get easily thousands of death threats. 1187 00:49:46,350 --> 00:49:47,784 I think back in 2014, 1188 00:49:47,784 --> 00:49:50,020 most of the transphobia was still out of ignorance. 1189 00:49:50,020 --> 00:49:52,122 Where now it's basically a political statement. 1190 00:49:52,122 --> 00:49:53,423 A big part of that's appealing 1191 00:49:53,423 --> 00:49:55,559 to some regressive notion of tradition. 1192 00:49:55,559 --> 00:49:57,294 You know, like women belong in the home 1193 00:49:57,294 --> 00:50:00,030 and only men belong out in the world doing things. 1194 00:50:00,030 --> 00:50:03,200 Ultimately, I think most transphobia boils down to sexism, 1195 00:50:03,200 --> 00:50:04,434 just repackaged. 1196 00:50:05,402 --> 00:50:07,771 Now it's become more hate based. 1197 00:50:07,771 --> 00:50:08,905 And if you put yourself out there on the internet, 1198 00:50:08,905 --> 00:50:10,841 you become a target for vitriol and abuse. 1199 00:50:11,875 --> 00:50:14,010 It leads to violence. (crowds yelling) 1200 00:50:14,010 --> 00:50:15,512 It's on the streets, on the TV networks, 1201 00:50:15,512 --> 00:50:16,747 on social media. 1202 00:50:17,681 --> 00:50:20,050 The hatred is at a boiling point. 1203 00:50:20,050 --> 00:50:23,220 (water splashing) 1204 00:50:23,220 --> 00:50:26,056 - If decide tomorrow that I was a 47-year-old woman, 1205 00:50:26,056 --> 00:50:28,892 should I be allowed to go shower in a women's locker room? 1206 00:50:30,494 --> 00:50:32,796 - First off, I'm not a fucking man. 1207 00:50:32,796 --> 00:50:35,332 I'm not a predator, I'm not a bathroom predator. 1208 00:50:35,332 --> 00:50:38,502 If a man wants to abuse your child or your wife, 1209 00:50:38,502 --> 00:50:41,872 a fucking sign on the bathroom door isn't gonna stop him. 1210 00:50:41,872 --> 00:50:43,106 You know what I do in the bathroom? 1211 00:50:43,106 --> 00:50:44,207 I piss. 1212 00:50:44,207 --> 00:50:46,877 I piss, I wash my hands, and I leave. 1213 00:50:46,877 --> 00:50:48,078 - [Interviewer #3] Rules that are set by sporting bodies. 1214 00:50:48,078 --> 00:50:49,379 - It's not fair, is it? - By governing bodies. 1215 00:50:49,379 --> 00:50:50,814 - It's just not fair. - No, but you've got to make 1216 00:50:50,814 --> 00:50:51,948 sure that it is fair. - And it's damaging 1217 00:50:51,948 --> 00:50:53,250 to woman's rights. - That is my point 1218 00:50:53,250 --> 00:50:54,317 in this conversation. - It's got nothing to do 1219 00:50:54,317 --> 00:50:55,519 with women's rights. 1220 00:50:55,519 --> 00:50:56,686 You don't care about women in sports, 1221 00:50:56,686 --> 00:50:57,921 you don't care about women's sports. 1222 00:50:57,921 --> 00:50:59,089 You don't care that women are paid less. 1223 00:50:59,089 --> 00:51:01,691 All you wanna do is make sure I can't play. 1224 00:51:01,691 --> 00:51:03,693 You wanna make sure Lia Thomas can't swim. 1225 00:51:03,693 --> 00:51:06,263 You wanna make sure that Laurel Hubbard can't lift weights. 1226 00:51:06,263 --> 00:51:09,466 - [Narrator #12] It also states any form of homosexuality 1227 00:51:09,466 --> 00:51:11,068 or transgender identity 1228 00:51:11,068 --> 00:51:14,137 is "sinful in the sight of God and the church." 1229 00:51:14,137 --> 00:51:16,106 - It doesn't say anything in the Bible about trans women. 1230 00:51:16,106 --> 00:51:18,508 It really doesn't say anything about gay people. 1231 00:51:18,508 --> 00:51:20,410 So don't gimme any bullshit 1232 00:51:20,410 --> 00:51:24,281 about how your religion doesn't agree with my existence. 1233 00:51:24,281 --> 00:51:25,081 Fuck that. 1234 00:51:26,216 --> 00:51:27,918 - I think the only problem that I have 1235 00:51:27,918 --> 00:51:30,687 with that transitioning thing 1236 00:51:30,687 --> 00:51:33,023 is physical competition, that's it, 1237 00:51:33,023 --> 00:51:34,090 a physical competition. - You want me in that cage. 1238 00:51:34,090 --> 00:51:35,725 You want to be able to point at me 1239 00:51:35,725 --> 00:51:38,662 and talk about that monster over there, that abomination, 1240 00:51:38,662 --> 00:51:40,397 that scary, disgusting creature 1241 00:51:40,397 --> 00:51:41,798 that's corrupting your children 1242 00:51:41,798 --> 00:51:43,500 and destroying women's sports. 1243 00:51:43,500 --> 00:51:44,634 That's what you want. 1244 00:51:44,634 --> 00:51:45,902 You want me in there. 1245 00:51:45,902 --> 00:51:47,971 So fucking get me a fight. 1246 00:51:49,106 --> 00:51:52,075 (suspenseful music) 1247 00:51:52,075 --> 00:51:53,810 - [Celine] My name is Celine Provost, 1248 00:51:53,810 --> 00:51:56,680 I'm a teacher in university. 1249 00:51:57,747 --> 00:52:00,150 - I found Celine through a manager contact 1250 00:52:00,150 --> 00:52:02,652 who was managing another fighter that fights for Combate. 1251 00:52:02,652 --> 00:52:04,087 Luckily he had somebody 1252 00:52:04,087 --> 00:52:05,856 and he had somebody like Celine 1253 00:52:05,856 --> 00:52:07,491 that was willing to take the challenge. 1254 00:52:07,491 --> 00:52:11,228 - I agreed because it was a chance for me to fight again, 1255 00:52:11,228 --> 00:52:12,362 no matter, you know, 1256 00:52:12,362 --> 00:52:15,599 who the opponent was, transgender or not, 1257 00:52:15,599 --> 00:52:17,234 it was not an issue to me. 1258 00:52:17,234 --> 00:52:19,336 But after it got me to look into, you know, 1259 00:52:19,336 --> 00:52:21,671 who transgender were, 1260 00:52:21,671 --> 00:52:24,674 and since I've been into gender studies, 1261 00:52:25,809 --> 00:52:27,344 I think it's a good thing. 1262 00:52:27,344 --> 00:52:29,146 To be honest with you, 1263 00:52:29,146 --> 00:52:32,315 I'm not sure there are any transgender athlete in France. 1264 00:52:33,683 --> 00:52:38,288 And I think it will be like a 50% for and 50% against, 1265 00:52:39,523 --> 00:52:41,024 because France is a country where you have 1266 00:52:41,024 --> 00:52:43,660 a lot of chauvinist guys. 1267 00:52:43,660 --> 00:52:48,365 For female fighters, we need way more female fighters, 1268 00:52:48,365 --> 00:52:51,434 way more transgender fighters to have 1269 00:52:51,434 --> 00:52:54,237 so that they're alleged in the eyes of the people. 1270 00:52:54,237 --> 00:52:55,906 - [Alana] Celine is pretty hardcore. 1271 00:52:55,906 --> 00:52:58,208 Set aside that I'm trans, but I have no record, 1272 00:52:58,208 --> 00:53:01,478 no tape to watch, and I'm a former special forces operator. 1273 00:53:01,478 --> 00:53:03,013 It's a scary fight. 1274 00:53:03,013 --> 00:53:05,615 Win or lose, I have nothing but respect for her. 1275 00:53:05,615 --> 00:53:09,519 So one seemingly impossible task done, just one more left. 1276 00:53:09,519 --> 00:53:11,288 What gym will have me? 1277 00:53:11,288 --> 00:53:12,989 - Combate does all it shows here in Miami. 1278 00:53:12,989 --> 00:53:15,792 I love the weather, I love the food, 1279 00:53:16,826 --> 00:53:18,929 it's just a great home for us. 1280 00:53:18,929 --> 00:53:22,399 But in a way it was very unwelcoming for Alana. 1281 00:53:22,399 --> 00:53:27,404 We went to 9 gyms before we found the 10th 1282 00:53:28,405 --> 00:53:29,940 that agreed to train her. 1283 00:53:29,940 --> 00:53:32,409 - [Alana] The final breakthrough, a gym that'll train me. 1284 00:53:32,409 --> 00:53:34,644 Thank you MMA Masters. 1285 00:53:34,644 --> 00:53:36,112 Now let's get it on. 1286 00:53:36,112 --> 00:53:38,648 Miami, here comes Lady Feral. 1287 00:53:38,648 --> 00:53:41,818 (suspenseful music) 1288 00:53:56,600 --> 00:53:58,802 (blows thudding) - Hey. 1289 00:53:58,802 --> 00:54:01,438 (suspenseful music) 1290 00:54:14,050 --> 00:54:16,953 - Mike, the vice president for Combate Global, 1291 00:54:16,953 --> 00:54:20,257 he contact us and he told us this situation. 1292 00:54:20,257 --> 00:54:21,024 I say, "Yes, man. 1293 00:54:21,024 --> 00:54:22,359 Here we don't judge people. 1294 00:54:22,359 --> 00:54:24,995 We are coach, my job is to coach people." 1295 00:54:24,995 --> 00:54:27,163 - She wound up at one of the best training centers, 1296 00:54:27,163 --> 00:54:29,532 if not the best, in Miami. 1297 00:54:29,532 --> 00:54:32,168 (upbeat music) 1298 00:54:39,509 --> 00:54:43,179 (singer singing in Spanish) 1299 00:54:50,820 --> 00:54:53,456 (upbeat music) 1300 00:55:05,669 --> 00:55:09,706 - We officially started the gym back in 2009. 1301 00:55:09,706 --> 00:55:11,574 A lot of great MMA fighters here. 1302 00:55:11,574 --> 00:55:15,245 - Now we have Colby Covington, we have Amanda Nunes, 1303 00:55:15,245 --> 00:55:16,680 you know, she's still the champion. 1304 00:55:16,680 --> 00:55:17,781 We have a lot of, you know, 1305 00:55:17,781 --> 00:55:19,349 high level fighters here. 1306 00:55:19,349 --> 00:55:21,418 - And we have a lot of guys combating in Combate Global. 1307 00:55:21,418 --> 00:55:26,356 Great fights and a great show, and it's been amazing. 1308 00:55:27,524 --> 00:55:28,658 - So when I first came into this camp, 1309 00:55:28,658 --> 00:55:30,393 I definitely was intimidated. 1310 00:55:30,393 --> 00:55:32,462 While it's a much different environment, 1311 00:55:32,462 --> 00:55:35,331 I definitely had some shades of walking into basic training, 1312 00:55:35,331 --> 00:55:37,200 you know, and basically I just kind of played it cool. 1313 00:55:37,200 --> 00:55:39,002 - Oh, I knew she was very rough. 1314 00:55:39,002 --> 00:55:40,804 I knew that we didn't have enough time 1315 00:55:40,804 --> 00:55:43,239 to improve her game a lot. 1316 00:55:44,107 --> 00:55:45,108 - Yeah, she's an ex-military, 1317 00:55:45,108 --> 00:55:47,377 so you know, she has the courage, 1318 00:55:47,377 --> 00:55:48,712 she has the heart. 1319 00:55:48,712 --> 00:55:50,547 You don't need too much sometimes in the MMA fight, 1320 00:55:50,547 --> 00:55:53,783 but the more you stay basic with your foundation, 1321 00:55:53,783 --> 00:55:56,486 the stronger you get, you stay in the fight. 1322 00:55:56,486 --> 00:55:58,188 - We tried to do as best we could 1323 00:55:58,188 --> 00:56:00,590 to get her ready for the fight. 1324 00:56:00,590 --> 00:56:03,259 (upbeat music) 1325 00:56:03,259 --> 00:56:05,295 - Got a gym, got an opponent, 1326 00:56:05,295 --> 00:56:07,163 so now I gotta fight. 1327 00:56:07,163 --> 00:56:08,998 The training is no joke. 1328 00:56:08,998 --> 00:56:12,736 It took so much work to get here and now I don't feel ready. 1329 00:56:12,736 --> 00:56:15,138 These fighters are years and levels above me, 1330 00:56:15,138 --> 00:56:17,107 and who knows if they'll even accept me. 1331 00:56:18,575 --> 00:56:20,510 Are they talking about me behind my back? 1332 00:56:21,644 --> 00:56:22,979 I feel alone here. 1333 00:56:22,979 --> 00:56:24,280 My friends feel so far away 1334 00:56:24,280 --> 00:56:25,982 and there's no family to lean on. 1335 00:56:27,050 --> 00:56:28,485 Portland is chaos, 1336 00:56:28,485 --> 00:56:31,187 but it's hard to tell a friend from foe in Miami, 1337 00:56:31,187 --> 00:56:32,522 can I really trust my team? 1338 00:56:34,257 --> 00:56:38,361 (gentle instrumental music) 1339 00:56:38,361 --> 00:56:42,065 So we're at the cemetery where my grandfather's buried, 1340 00:56:42,065 --> 00:56:44,134 'cause I knew he was buried in the area. 1341 00:56:45,335 --> 00:56:49,639 He grew up here in Hialeah and so did my dad. 1342 00:56:49,639 --> 00:56:51,941 But of course, I'm not in contact with my family, 1343 00:56:51,941 --> 00:56:54,677 so I couldn't call them and ask them where he's buried. 1344 00:56:56,246 --> 00:56:59,182 So actually, there was like an internet post about 1345 00:56:59,182 --> 00:57:02,018 the AIDS Quilt, because my grandfather died 1346 00:57:02,018 --> 00:57:04,320 in the AIDS crisis in 1996. 1347 00:57:04,320 --> 00:57:08,525 So yeah, I reached out to my networks 1348 00:57:08,525 --> 00:57:11,227 and turned out some people that were following me 1349 00:57:11,227 --> 00:57:12,929 were part of like mortuary services and stuff. 1350 00:57:12,929 --> 00:57:15,932 So they did some research for me 1351 00:57:15,932 --> 00:57:17,434 and they found out where he was. 1352 00:57:18,535 --> 00:57:20,436 Just strangers on the internet. 1353 00:57:20,436 --> 00:57:24,307 (gentle instrumental music) 1354 00:57:50,467 --> 00:57:55,071 (gentle instrumental music continues) 1355 00:57:59,709 --> 00:58:02,478 (cars whirring) 1356 00:58:03,680 --> 00:58:07,083 Yeah, I don't know. - How does it feel now? 1357 00:58:13,823 --> 00:58:15,758 - I couldn't say. - Okay. 1358 00:58:16,826 --> 00:58:20,463 (gentle instrumental music) 1359 00:58:39,082 --> 00:58:39,883 - So I've been living out of a hotel 1360 00:58:39,883 --> 00:58:40,550 for over two months now. 1361 00:58:40,683 --> 00:58:42,552 I worked my off every day. 1362 00:58:42,552 --> 00:58:45,021 The coaches said to go to as many classes as I can, 1363 00:58:45,021 --> 00:58:46,689 so that's what I do. 1364 00:58:46,689 --> 00:58:48,458 I'm in Miami, but I've barely seen anything 1365 00:58:48,458 --> 00:58:50,393 but the gym and the hotel. 1366 00:58:50,393 --> 00:58:52,462 Not like I have a social life here anyway. 1367 00:58:53,363 --> 00:58:55,598 - Every day, every single day, 1368 00:58:55,598 --> 00:58:58,268 you know, she's very like consistent. 1369 00:58:58,268 --> 00:59:01,070 Like every day here, every day doing the same technique 1370 00:59:01,070 --> 00:59:02,372 over and over again. 1371 00:59:03,206 --> 00:59:04,240 And patient, a lot of patience. 1372 00:59:04,240 --> 00:59:07,143 She's very nice. 1373 00:59:07,143 --> 00:59:08,211 - I want to open doors. 1374 00:59:08,211 --> 00:59:09,846 I want people to say, 1375 00:59:09,846 --> 00:59:13,249 "Okay, trans people are just like anybody else", 1376 00:59:13,249 --> 00:59:16,019 and that we deserve a place in public 1377 00:59:16,019 --> 00:59:17,420 along with anyone else. 1378 00:59:17,420 --> 00:59:20,256 We deserve to be part of athletic programs. 1379 00:59:20,256 --> 00:59:23,493 We deserve to exist in public life. 1380 00:59:25,128 --> 00:59:28,998 This fight, it's not the most important one, 1381 00:59:28,998 --> 00:59:31,067 but it's definitely one of the most important steps 1382 00:59:31,067 --> 00:59:32,635 along the way, because it's definitely 1383 00:59:32,635 --> 00:59:34,637 not gonna be given to us. 1384 00:59:34,637 --> 00:59:37,440 - Look, I really believe in giving people opportunity, 1385 00:59:37,440 --> 00:59:39,676 I really do, it's why I started this company. 1386 00:59:39,676 --> 00:59:43,146 And certainly Alana deserves an opportunity. 1387 00:59:43,146 --> 00:59:45,348 As the head of the company, I had to be really aware, 1388 00:59:45,348 --> 00:59:47,617 we were using a lot of resources 1389 00:59:47,617 --> 00:59:49,519 just to get her a training camp. 1390 00:59:49,519 --> 00:59:51,287 Do I think she's worth it? 1391 00:59:51,287 --> 00:59:52,188 Yeah, hell yeah. 1392 00:59:52,188 --> 00:59:53,489 That's why we did it. 1393 00:59:53,489 --> 00:59:56,225 But I don't want anyone to think 1394 00:59:56,225 --> 00:59:57,827 this was an easy thing to do. 1395 00:59:57,827 --> 00:59:59,729 We didn't go over the top in promoting it, 1396 00:59:59,729 --> 01:00:01,164 we just put her on the card. 1397 01:00:01,164 --> 01:00:04,400 I wanted to give her a shot and that's what I did. 1398 01:00:04,400 --> 01:00:08,271 (Dumar speaking in Spanish) 1399 01:00:11,774 --> 01:00:15,812 (Cristian speaking in Spanish) 1400 01:00:31,127 --> 01:00:34,397 - To say something positive is so hard, 1401 01:00:34,397 --> 01:00:35,431 but to say something negative, 1402 01:00:35,431 --> 01:00:37,100 to get people attention, 1403 01:00:37,100 --> 01:00:38,568 oh, that's very fast. 1404 01:00:38,568 --> 01:00:40,436 I don't allow that here, you know? 1405 01:00:40,436 --> 01:00:43,039 They know that our mentality here, 1406 01:00:43,039 --> 01:00:45,575 we are the coaches and we have open mind. 1407 01:00:45,575 --> 01:00:47,577 We don't care about like what you want, 1408 01:00:47,577 --> 01:00:50,046 what you are doing outside, 1409 01:00:50,046 --> 01:00:52,448 as long as you come and respect the gym, 1410 01:00:52,448 --> 01:00:53,950 that's what we want, 1411 01:00:53,950 --> 01:00:55,084 and that's why I think that's what they want too. 1412 01:00:55,084 --> 01:00:57,720 - Like everybody has this idea in their heads 1413 01:00:57,720 --> 01:00:58,988 of a trans woman as being 1414 01:00:58,988 --> 01:01:01,691 like some six and a half foot tall ogre 1415 01:01:01,691 --> 01:01:04,594 that's 400 pounds of muscle with warts and hair, 1416 01:01:04,594 --> 01:01:07,363 and like, That's not what we are. 1417 01:01:07,363 --> 01:01:08,598 This is a sport. 1418 01:01:08,598 --> 01:01:11,668 There are rules, there are referees, 1419 01:01:11,668 --> 01:01:12,702 there are doctors. 1420 01:01:12,702 --> 01:01:16,239 I'm 5'7", I'm fighting at 145. 1421 01:01:16,239 --> 01:01:19,742 Pre-transition I was walking around 190 pounds, 1422 01:01:19,742 --> 01:01:23,312 like 6% body fat, eating anything I wanted, 1423 01:01:23,312 --> 01:01:25,181 didn't have to put in that much time at the gym. 1424 01:01:25,181 --> 01:01:28,451 And now I'm in there every day busting my ass 1425 01:01:28,451 --> 01:01:30,620 - I don't know for everybody, 1426 01:01:30,620 --> 01:01:32,789 but for me, no problem. 1427 01:01:32,789 --> 01:01:36,759 (Cristian speaking in Spanish) 1428 01:01:44,367 --> 01:01:47,904 (Mariel speaking in Spanish) 1429 01:01:54,110 --> 01:01:56,379 - Hard worker, respectful, 1430 01:01:56,379 --> 01:01:57,580 and she put in the work, you know, 1431 01:01:57,580 --> 01:01:59,282 and that's all I need here. 1432 01:01:59,282 --> 01:02:02,719 Be respectful, show up for class on time, 1433 01:02:02,719 --> 01:02:05,254 listen it to the coach, and that's it. 1434 01:02:05,254 --> 01:02:06,989 We've never had a problem. 1435 01:02:06,989 --> 01:02:09,358 - I'm nervous because I'm excited, 1436 01:02:09,358 --> 01:02:13,396 because man, just being in that, 1437 01:02:14,263 --> 01:02:15,231 I feel like I'm fighting. 1438 01:02:15,231 --> 01:02:16,365 - Everyone's treated me well, 1439 01:02:16,365 --> 01:02:17,733 we've had really good training. 1440 01:02:17,733 --> 01:02:19,602 I've gotten, you know, 1441 01:02:19,602 --> 01:02:22,872 lots of personal attention from lots of amazing fighters, 1442 01:02:22,872 --> 01:02:25,875 and everybody on the team has been great. 1443 01:02:25,875 --> 01:02:27,276 - [Cesar] Yeah, she improved a lot and she's very, 1444 01:02:27,276 --> 01:02:28,678 very, very intelligent. 1445 01:02:31,714 --> 01:02:33,950 - [Marino] You just need to keep training, 1446 01:02:33,950 --> 01:02:35,551 just keep tightening it up, 1447 01:02:35,551 --> 01:02:39,255 sharpening up our tools and just keep pushing, you know? 1448 01:02:39,255 --> 01:02:42,091 (suspenseful music) 1449 01:02:47,463 --> 01:02:50,433 (blows thudding) 1450 01:02:56,672 --> 01:02:59,709 (suspenseful music) 1451 01:03:02,778 --> 01:03:05,715 (suspenseful music) 1452 01:03:05,715 --> 01:03:08,284 - I am checked into the fight hotel. 1453 01:03:08,284 --> 01:03:10,987 I'm firmly in the COVID bubble. 1454 01:03:12,221 --> 01:03:17,126 Boom. (plane whirring) 1455 01:03:17,627 --> 01:03:18,594 Almost there. 1456 01:03:20,229 --> 01:03:21,497 (suspenseful music) 1457 01:03:21,497 --> 01:03:23,833 So this is a little personal sauna. 1458 01:03:25,201 --> 01:03:27,403 The promotion has provided these for all the fighters 1459 01:03:27,403 --> 01:03:28,604 to help us make weight. 1460 01:03:29,739 --> 01:03:31,607 It's pumping steam directly into here, 1461 01:03:33,009 --> 01:03:35,978 so you get heated up inside here, lets you work up a sweat. 1462 01:03:37,346 --> 01:03:39,615 Combate Global kept their cards close to the chest. 1463 01:03:39,615 --> 01:03:41,884 They didn't hype the fight and kept it on the undercard, 1464 01:03:41,884 --> 01:03:43,786 but "The Guardian" just ran an article on me, 1465 01:03:43,786 --> 01:03:46,255 so I think people are gonna know about it. 1466 01:03:46,255 --> 01:03:48,558 This cat's out of the proverbial bag. 1467 01:03:48,558 --> 01:03:51,761 (suspenseful music) 1468 01:03:58,634 --> 01:04:01,537 - [Interviewer #4] Why are you so angry? 1469 01:04:01,537 --> 01:04:06,642 - Because we just went over for the PCR testing for COVID, 1470 01:04:08,077 --> 01:04:11,247 because of this damn pandemic, when will it end? 1471 01:04:11,247 --> 01:04:15,718 And one of my teammates walked up wearing MAGA hat. 1472 01:04:18,688 --> 01:04:23,659 And yeah, like nothing makes my blood boil 1473 01:04:24,460 --> 01:04:26,329 like seeing that shit. 1474 01:04:26,329 --> 01:04:28,931 I guess apparently Colby gave it to him, 1475 01:04:30,433 --> 01:04:32,201 and considering the release of the article yesterday 1476 01:04:32,201 --> 01:04:35,037 and trans flag everywhere, and you know, 1477 01:04:35,037 --> 01:04:36,873 I wonder if that was a calculated move 1478 01:04:36,873 --> 01:04:38,674 to throw me off, you know? 1479 01:04:40,376 --> 01:04:42,812 So that's the thing about this 1480 01:04:42,812 --> 01:04:47,817 is you're supposed to be able to trust 1481 01:04:49,352 --> 01:04:52,021 the people in your gym to have your best interest in mind. 1482 01:04:52,021 --> 01:04:56,993 And it's really hard to believe that 1483 01:04:56,993 --> 01:04:59,128 when I see that shit out there, you know? 1484 01:04:59,896 --> 01:05:01,197 Oh, there he goes. 1485 01:05:03,432 --> 01:05:05,001 There he fucking goes, awesome. 1486 01:05:06,135 --> 01:05:07,637 He's always been decent to me in the gym. 1487 01:05:07,637 --> 01:05:09,038 But, you know, 1488 01:05:09,038 --> 01:05:12,608 all this bullshit about civility politics, like, 1489 01:05:12,608 --> 01:05:14,911 how am I supposed to be civil when somebody's walking around 1490 01:05:14,911 --> 01:05:16,412 with a sign on their head that says, 1491 01:05:16,412 --> 01:05:19,415 "Fuck you, die", you know? 1492 01:05:19,415 --> 01:05:22,151 So yeah, I'm a little angry. 1493 01:05:27,857 --> 01:05:30,960 - You know, I think Alana feels very strongly 1494 01:05:30,960 --> 01:05:35,798 about the right wing of the Republican party, 1495 01:05:35,798 --> 01:05:40,836 right wing Americans, the MAGA Americans. 1496 01:05:41,871 --> 01:05:43,739 And I don't believe it's because 1497 01:05:43,739 --> 01:05:44,874 she doesn't think people have 1498 01:05:44,874 --> 01:05:47,076 the right to express themselves. 1499 01:05:47,076 --> 01:05:52,114 I think she believes those group of people 1500 01:05:53,349 --> 01:05:54,250 and that type of thinking has led, literally, 1501 01:05:54,250 --> 01:05:55,518 to death threats. 1502 01:05:55,518 --> 01:05:57,620 And it's one thing if you disagree with somebody, 1503 01:05:57,620 --> 01:05:58,821 but it's quite another thing 1504 01:05:58,821 --> 01:06:01,223 if death threats follow the disagreement. 1505 01:06:01,223 --> 01:06:03,292 And I know she's had death threats. 1506 01:06:03,292 --> 01:06:06,262 I have seen them, I've seen them online, 1507 01:06:06,262 --> 01:06:08,564 I've heard what people say about her. 1508 01:06:08,564 --> 01:06:13,736 I think for Alana, this is not merely a political debate, 1509 01:06:15,204 --> 01:06:19,408 I think this is quite literally a life or death situation. 1510 01:06:20,242 --> 01:06:21,410 You know, I keep saying to her, 1511 01:06:21,410 --> 01:06:23,179 "You don't have to fight every fight. 1512 01:06:23,179 --> 01:06:26,749 Wearing an Antifa hat is not gonna endear you to people. 1513 01:06:26,749 --> 01:06:30,219 You gotta think about, are you trying to bring people 1514 01:06:31,554 --> 01:06:33,456 to your side or are you trying to fight everyone?" 1515 01:06:33,456 --> 01:06:35,391 - Our next fighter to set foot on the scales 1516 01:06:35,391 --> 01:06:37,827 is three rounds, featherweight division. 1517 01:06:37,827 --> 01:06:41,063 (presenter speaking in Spanish) 1518 01:06:41,063 --> 01:06:42,798 Out of Paris, France, 1519 01:06:42,798 --> 01:06:45,935 Celine Provost on the scale. 1520 01:06:45,935 --> 01:06:48,604 (suspenseful music) 1521 01:06:48,604 --> 01:06:51,240 142.6. 1522 01:06:51,240 --> 01:06:53,209 (presenter speaking in Spanish) 1523 01:06:53,209 --> 01:06:56,078 Debuting inside of La Jaula out of Portland, 1524 01:06:56,078 --> 01:06:58,481 Oregon, on the scale, 1525 01:06:58,481 --> 01:07:00,282 Alana McLaughlin. 1526 01:07:01,951 --> 01:07:03,753 (suspenseful music) 1527 01:07:03,753 --> 01:07:05,988 144.6. 1528 01:07:05,988 --> 01:07:10,159 (presenter speaking in Spanish) 1529 01:07:11,660 --> 01:07:14,764 (suspenseful music) 1530 01:07:22,038 --> 01:07:25,207 (suspenseful music) 1531 01:07:28,978 --> 01:07:30,746 - First time I've broadcast any sport 1532 01:07:30,746 --> 01:07:32,515 with a transgender or trans athlete. 1533 01:07:32,515 --> 01:07:34,083 I don't know what's gonna happen, 1534 01:07:34,083 --> 01:07:35,818 but I'm really curious to see 1535 01:07:35,818 --> 01:07:38,721 what the conversation's gonna be like afterwards. 1536 01:07:38,721 --> 01:07:41,624 - [Alana] Don't think I've ever been this popular. 1537 01:07:41,624 --> 01:07:44,960 - I was impressed that it was promoted in a respectful way 1538 01:07:44,960 --> 01:07:46,529 and not made into a spectacle. 1539 01:07:46,529 --> 01:07:48,097 I think it was promoted 1540 01:07:48,097 --> 01:07:51,567 just like any other undercard pro debut fight 1541 01:07:51,567 --> 01:07:53,702 would've been promoted in the women's division 1542 01:07:53,702 --> 01:07:55,204 or the men's division. 1543 01:07:55,204 --> 01:07:57,540 - I think we're both probably gonna come forward 1544 01:07:57,540 --> 01:07:58,541 and meet in the middle. 1545 01:08:00,076 --> 01:08:03,579 And I expect her to try to use her reach 1546 01:08:03,579 --> 01:08:04,914 to keep me on the outside, 1547 01:08:04,914 --> 01:08:07,283 and I'm gonna try to get my way inside, 1548 01:08:07,283 --> 01:08:10,719 and either go for the take down or really punish her body. 1549 01:08:10,719 --> 01:08:12,254 (gentle instrumental music) 1550 01:08:12,254 --> 01:08:14,990 - [Interviewer #5] What kind of fight are you expecting? 1551 01:08:14,990 --> 01:08:16,892 - From my part, technical one. 1552 01:08:16,892 --> 01:08:18,494 From her part, maybe brawl, 1553 01:08:18,494 --> 01:08:21,697 because I'm pretty sure she would like to punch my body 1554 01:08:21,697 --> 01:08:23,165 and get to my legs. 1555 01:08:24,533 --> 01:08:27,636 - I've been telling her to try not to be nervous (laughs) 1556 01:08:27,636 --> 01:08:30,372 and just go out there and give her her best, 1557 01:08:30,372 --> 01:08:34,610 and use every bit of technique that she's learned. 1558 01:08:34,610 --> 01:08:36,112 - I'd like to be like, 1559 01:08:36,112 --> 01:08:39,048 "Oh yeah, I'm gonna be a world champion one day", 1560 01:08:39,048 --> 01:08:40,683 like that's what every fighter wants. 1561 01:08:40,683 --> 01:08:44,687 But the fact of the matter is I'm making my debut at 38, 1562 01:08:44,687 --> 01:08:49,258 so I'm just going to go in here and run it as long as I can. 1563 01:08:49,258 --> 01:08:51,927 Let's just see how many fights I can get. 1564 01:08:54,096 --> 01:08:56,165 - It is Miami, it's a Friday night, 1565 01:08:56,165 --> 01:08:57,766 and you know what that means? 1566 01:08:57,766 --> 01:08:59,535 Another massive card, 1567 01:08:59,535 --> 01:09:02,671 two undefeated fighters looking to stay that way, 1568 01:09:02,671 --> 01:09:06,108 and also a historic moment in mixed martial arts. 1569 01:09:06,108 --> 01:09:08,511 We will get to all of that here shortly, 1570 01:09:08,511 --> 01:09:10,279 but allowing me to make the introductions. 1571 01:09:10,279 --> 01:09:11,947 My name is Max Bretos, 1572 01:09:11,947 --> 01:09:13,349 and we're joined today by Rodolfo Roman. 1573 01:09:13,349 --> 01:09:14,617 How are you doing, Rodolfo? 1574 01:09:14,617 --> 01:09:15,885 - Thank you, Max. 1575 01:09:15,885 --> 01:09:17,386 Absolutely great, 1576 01:09:17,386 --> 01:09:18,521 looking forward to a stellar fight card tonight. 1577 01:09:18,521 --> 01:09:20,155 We have a great one, including history. 1578 01:09:20,155 --> 01:09:25,227 ♪ Oh say, can you see - Fight night. 1579 01:09:25,861 --> 01:09:27,162 No matter how much 1580 01:09:27,162 --> 01:09:28,731 ♪ By the dawns early light - weight I cut, 1581 01:09:28,731 --> 01:09:30,466 I feel the crushing weight of expectation on my shoulders. 1582 01:09:30,466 --> 01:09:33,102 I'm the first trans fighter to do this since Fallon Fox, 1583 01:09:33,102 --> 01:09:35,504 and the world's a different place. 1584 01:09:35,504 --> 01:09:37,373 I just don't wanna let anyone down. 1585 01:09:38,440 --> 01:09:40,509 - I was excited leading up to that fight, 1586 01:09:40,509 --> 01:09:43,379 I was excited on the night of it, 1587 01:09:43,379 --> 01:09:45,347 but I had no idea what was coming. 1588 01:09:45,347 --> 01:09:48,784 You have all the pre-fight stuff, all the pre-interviews, 1589 01:09:48,784 --> 01:09:50,786 all those things, and then it was time. 1590 01:09:52,154 --> 01:09:55,958 And seeing Celine Provost first come out into the cage, 1591 01:09:55,958 --> 01:09:57,326 that said, I'm ready for this. 1592 01:09:57,326 --> 01:10:00,029 - Celine is a tough fighter, over towers her. 1593 01:10:00,029 --> 01:10:03,799 What she needs to do is play that reach to her advantage. 1594 01:10:03,799 --> 01:10:06,101 - And then Alana comes up. 1595 01:10:06,101 --> 01:10:10,239 (presenter speaking in Spanish) 1596 01:10:11,607 --> 01:10:13,642 - [Karleigh] And then she unfurls this flag, 1597 01:10:13,642 --> 01:10:15,377 arms stretched out. 1598 01:10:15,377 --> 01:10:16,879 And at that point I'm smiling 1599 01:10:16,879 --> 01:10:19,415 and I'm also have a little bit of happy tears going, 1600 01:10:19,415 --> 01:10:22,651 because at that moment that was Alana sending a message 1601 01:10:22,651 --> 01:10:23,686 that we needed. 1602 01:10:25,454 --> 01:10:28,757 That so many of us as trans people living out in the world, 1603 01:10:28,757 --> 01:10:31,393 and in many ways in a bunker mentality, 1604 01:10:31,393 --> 01:10:34,730 we needed to see her stepping out with pride and saying, 1605 01:10:34,730 --> 01:10:37,099 "Yes, I am Alana McLaughlin, 1606 01:10:37,099 --> 01:10:39,001 this is who I am." 1607 01:10:39,001 --> 01:10:43,138 (presenters speaking in Spanish) 1608 01:10:51,547 --> 01:10:53,749 - [Karleigh] And when she walked in that cage at that point, 1609 01:10:53,749 --> 01:10:55,050 it was nothing but pride. 1610 01:10:56,285 --> 01:10:59,888 And no one can say anything to take that away. 1611 01:10:59,888 --> 01:11:04,026 (presenter speaking in Spanish) 1612 01:11:14,236 --> 01:11:15,571 - [Presenter #1] Introducing the blue corner, wearing black. 1613 01:11:15,571 --> 01:11:18,707 (presenter speaking in Spanish) 1614 01:11:18,707 --> 01:11:20,609 - [Presenter #1] Her official weight, 142.5 pounds. 1615 01:11:21,910 --> 01:11:26,615 (presenter speaking in Spanish) 1616 01:11:26,615 --> 01:11:28,117 - [Presenter #1] She enters La Jaula 1617 01:11:28,117 --> 01:11:31,453 for the second time as a pro, with a record of one defeat. 1618 01:11:31,453 --> 01:11:32,755 (presenter speaking in Spanish) 1619 01:11:32,755 --> 01:11:37,626 - [Presenter #1] Celine "Tall Blondie" Provost. 1620 01:11:40,095 --> 01:11:41,563 (presenter speaking in Spanish) 1621 01:11:41,563 --> 01:11:42,164 - [Presenter #1] Her opponent in the red corner, 1622 01:11:42,164 --> 01:11:43,699 wearing white. 1623 01:11:43,699 --> 01:11:46,468 She tipped the scales at an official 144.5 pounds. 1624 01:11:46,468 --> 01:11:49,138 Tonight inside of La Jaula 1625 01:11:49,138 --> 01:11:52,107 she is making her professional debut, 1626 01:11:52,107 --> 01:11:54,376 fighting out of Portland, Oregon. 1627 01:11:54,376 --> 01:11:59,515 "Lady Feral" Alana McLaughlin. 1628 01:12:00,849 --> 01:12:02,451 - [Alana] Other fighters have their struggles, 1629 01:12:02,451 --> 01:12:05,487 but they couldn't handle what it took me to get here. 1630 01:12:05,487 --> 01:12:07,756 I always hate when fighters say it's war in the cage. 1631 01:12:07,756 --> 01:12:10,092 I've been to war and this ain't it. 1632 01:12:10,092 --> 01:12:11,493 I like this kind of fight. 1633 01:12:11,493 --> 01:12:13,162 Nobody's dying, there are rules, 1634 01:12:13,162 --> 01:12:16,598 there's a ref, my opponent doesn't hate me for being trans. 1635 01:12:16,598 --> 01:12:19,535 She just wants to beat me and I wanna beat her. 1636 01:12:20,369 --> 01:12:22,304 I could really use a win. 1637 01:12:22,304 --> 01:12:23,272 I need this win. 1638 01:12:24,406 --> 01:12:28,544 (presenter speaking in Spanish) 1639 01:12:30,312 --> 01:12:31,980 (bell chimes) 1640 01:12:31,980 --> 01:12:36,618 (presenter speaking in Spanish) 1641 01:12:36,618 --> 01:12:39,154 - [Max] Provost comes out swinging as we expected. 1642 01:12:40,456 --> 01:12:41,356 - [Rodolfo] And we can see it right here, 1643 01:12:41,356 --> 01:12:42,591 right from the get go, Max, 1644 01:12:42,591 --> 01:12:44,393 playing the distance, using her hands, 1645 01:12:44,393 --> 01:12:46,261 her kicks. - Hands up. 1646 01:12:46,261 --> 01:12:47,830 Hands up. - Alana not looking like 1647 01:12:47,830 --> 01:12:48,997 the stronger fighter, 1648 01:12:48,997 --> 01:12:50,399 and taking a ton of punishment coming in. 1649 01:12:50,399 --> 01:12:54,937 (presenter speaking in Spanish) 1650 01:12:54,937 --> 01:12:57,539 (upbeat music) 1651 01:12:58,407 --> 01:13:03,045 (presenter speaking in Spanish) 1652 01:13:03,045 --> 01:13:05,013 - [Rodolfo] Celine connected there, very, very hard. 1653 01:13:05,013 --> 01:13:06,515 Oh, and another right hook. 1654 01:13:06,515 --> 01:13:09,451 - [Max] Just ton of activity, a ralley of punches 1655 01:13:09,451 --> 01:13:12,421 from Provost. - Body, body. 1656 01:13:12,421 --> 01:13:16,725 (presenter speaking in Spanish) 1657 01:13:16,725 --> 01:13:19,328 (upbeat music) 1658 01:13:26,201 --> 01:13:30,339 (presenter speaking in Spanish) 1659 01:13:32,307 --> 01:13:33,776 - [Rodolfo] A bit white cross. 1660 01:13:33,776 --> 01:13:35,878 And Celine's gonna keep going for that one, two. 1661 01:13:35,878 --> 01:13:37,513 - [Max] Alana with a big uppercut. 1662 01:13:37,513 --> 01:13:38,781 - Hands up. - Now, Alana is just swinging 1663 01:13:38,781 --> 01:13:40,048 for the fences to see if she catches her. 1664 01:13:40,048 --> 01:13:42,718 Celine being the smart fighter, very technical, 1665 01:13:42,718 --> 01:13:44,253 very skilled. 1666 01:13:44,253 --> 01:13:46,188 And that's exactly what she's doing with that one, two, 1667 01:13:46,188 --> 01:13:47,523 which has been working all along. 1668 01:13:47,523 --> 01:13:49,458 - [Max] Two minutes to go in this opening round. 1669 01:13:49,458 --> 01:13:51,059 McLaughlin observing pressures. 1670 01:13:51,059 --> 01:13:52,628 - [Rodolfo] Alana needs to keep her hands up 1671 01:13:52,628 --> 01:13:54,062 and her head up. 1672 01:13:54,062 --> 01:13:58,233 (presenters speaking in Spanish) 1673 01:14:05,207 --> 01:14:06,642 - [Max] Alana just swinging here. 1674 01:14:11,680 --> 01:14:14,349 Right from McLaughlin, with a second overhead. 1675 01:14:14,349 --> 01:14:16,251 (presenter speaking in Spanish) 1676 01:14:16,251 --> 01:14:17,386 - [Rodolfo] Now what Celine needs to do 1677 01:14:17,386 --> 01:14:19,488 is that one, two move, one, two, move. 1678 01:14:20,722 --> 01:14:22,858 It's more like she's throwing and she backs off. 1679 01:14:22,858 --> 01:14:25,594 If she's continuous, she can have this in the pocket 1680 01:14:25,594 --> 01:14:27,896 and call it a day. - Yes. 1681 01:14:27,896 --> 01:14:30,098 (upbeat music) 1682 01:14:30,098 --> 01:14:31,300 - [Max] Come on, set it off. 1683 01:14:31,300 --> 01:14:33,836 (gavels banging) 1684 01:14:33,836 --> 01:14:35,671 We will take a break. 1685 01:14:35,671 --> 01:14:39,775 A fascinating first round between Provost and McLaughlin. 1686 01:14:39,775 --> 01:14:41,643 We'll take a quick break back 1687 01:14:41,643 --> 01:14:43,645 and be back for ground number 2. 1688 01:14:43,645 --> 01:14:47,683 (presenters speaking in Spanish) 1689 01:15:01,897 --> 01:15:04,466 (upbeat music) 1690 01:15:04,867 --> 01:15:08,270 - [Medic #1] Breathe, breathe, breath. 1691 01:15:09,204 --> 01:15:11,240 Big breath, big breath. 1692 01:15:11,240 --> 01:15:12,875 - [Marino] Remember, hey, 1693 01:15:12,875 --> 01:15:14,376 you gotta keep pressure, but you gotta keep your hands up. 1694 01:15:14,376 --> 01:15:15,544 You gotta move your head. 1695 01:15:15,544 --> 01:15:17,746 You giving too much of that jab time 1696 01:15:17,746 --> 01:15:20,382 'cause you're keeping yourself straight, okay? 1697 01:15:20,382 --> 01:15:25,420 Alright, breathe, okay? (whistle shrilling) 1698 01:15:32,127 --> 01:15:35,964 (presenter speaking in Spanish) 1699 01:15:46,875 --> 01:15:48,744 - [Referee] Ready? 1700 01:15:48,744 --> 01:15:49,912 (bells chiming) 1701 01:15:49,912 --> 01:15:51,313 - [Max] Back here for round number two. 1702 01:15:51,313 --> 01:15:53,282 A different looking Alana McLaughlin, 1703 01:15:53,282 --> 01:15:54,683 she took a lot of punishment. 1704 01:15:54,683 --> 01:15:58,854 (presenters speaking in Spanish) 1705 01:16:09,031 --> 01:16:10,766 - [Rodolfo] You can see that Celine's 1706 01:16:10,766 --> 01:16:12,067 trying to go for the kick to the midsection or the rib area, 1707 01:16:12,067 --> 01:16:15,604 but it was blocked by that elbow from Alana. 1708 01:16:16,505 --> 01:16:20,609 (presenters speaking in Spanish) 1709 01:16:28,650 --> 01:16:31,853 (suspenseful music) 1710 01:16:32,988 --> 01:16:35,324 - [Max] Oh, McLaughlin coming up big, 1711 01:16:35,324 --> 01:16:36,658 and now Provost has to survive. 1712 01:16:36,658 --> 01:16:39,261 A lot of punishments, the knees coming in. 1713 01:16:39,261 --> 01:16:42,197 (presenter speaking in Spanish) 1714 01:16:42,197 --> 01:16:45,367 (suspenseful music) 1715 01:16:45,367 --> 01:16:46,601 - [Narrator #13] And again. 1716 01:16:46,601 --> 01:16:48,136 (suspenseful music) 1717 01:16:48,136 --> 01:16:49,805 - [Max] Does pretty well, gets her on the ground, 1718 01:16:49,805 --> 01:16:51,807 now we can see how her ground game. 1719 01:16:51,807 --> 01:16:55,010 (presenter speaking in Spanish) 1720 01:16:55,010 --> 01:16:56,511 Alana McLaughlin has absorbed a lot of pressure, 1721 01:16:56,511 --> 01:16:58,747 but now has the upper hand. 1722 01:16:59,614 --> 01:17:02,951 (presenter speaking in Spanish) 1723 01:17:02,951 --> 01:17:06,355 (suspenseful music) 1724 01:17:06,355 --> 01:17:10,392 (presenter speaking in Spanish) 1725 01:17:17,833 --> 01:17:19,768 - [Max] McLaughlin's got the back of Provost 1726 01:17:19,768 --> 01:17:22,270 and now she starts. - We have rear naked choke. 1727 01:17:22,270 --> 01:17:23,772 - And a tap. - And a tap. 1728 01:17:23,772 --> 01:17:28,810 - [Max] Alana McLaughlin, victorious in her MMA debut 1729 01:17:29,544 --> 01:17:31,213 via the rear naked choke. 1730 01:17:31,213 --> 01:17:36,251 Had to take a lot of pressure to get there, but she did. 1731 01:17:36,251 --> 01:17:40,088 (presenter speaking in Spanish) 1732 01:17:47,929 --> 01:17:50,565 - We have just witnessed history. 1733 01:17:51,667 --> 01:17:53,502 I'll be honest, it was a weird sensation 1734 01:17:53,502 --> 01:17:55,504 as a broadcaster to go through that, 1735 01:17:55,504 --> 01:17:56,738 to talk about these fights. 1736 01:17:56,738 --> 01:17:58,306 But something that we were able to see 1737 01:17:58,306 --> 01:18:01,510 and something we take away from all of this. 1738 01:18:01,510 --> 01:18:02,744 - [Presenter #1] Ladies and gentlemen, 1739 01:18:02,744 --> 01:18:04,312 the red corner sinks in a rear naked choke, 1740 01:18:04,312 --> 01:18:05,914 forcing her opponent to tap, 1741 01:18:05,914 --> 01:18:07,549 with an official time of three minutes, 1742 01:18:07,549 --> 01:18:10,018 32 seconds of round number two, 1743 01:18:10,018 --> 01:18:12,688 your winner in way of submission. 1744 01:18:12,688 --> 01:18:14,956 (presenter speaking in Spanish) 1745 01:18:14,956 --> 01:18:17,459 - [Presenter #1] "Lady Farrell" Alana Mclaughlin. 1746 01:18:20,595 --> 01:18:21,863 - I remember seeing her on screen 1747 01:18:21,863 --> 01:18:23,098 that moment when they announced her name 1748 01:18:23,098 --> 01:18:24,933 and this little smile went over her face, 1749 01:18:24,933 --> 01:18:26,635 and I could see the intense pride that she had 1750 01:18:26,635 --> 01:18:29,371 for herself at that moment, which made me so proud for her. 1751 01:18:29,371 --> 01:18:32,474 - That was Ali-Foreman big deal for a trans person. 1752 01:18:32,474 --> 01:18:36,645 And also there was the t-shirt, end trans genocide, 1753 01:18:38,146 --> 01:18:42,150 taking that little bit of an opportunity to send the message 1754 01:18:42,150 --> 01:18:43,685 that needed to be sent. 1755 01:18:43,685 --> 01:18:45,087 I wrote in "Outsports" 1756 01:18:45,087 --> 01:18:49,891 that it was like a wake was drafting behind her. 1757 01:18:51,293 --> 01:18:54,830 And in that wake were 1.6 million transgender people 1758 01:18:54,830 --> 01:18:56,164 right along with her. 1759 01:18:56,164 --> 01:18:58,667 - I dedicate this fight to my friends 1760 01:18:58,667 --> 01:18:59,968 and comrades back in Portland, 1761 01:18:59,968 --> 01:19:02,104 everybody that's stuck with me the whole way. 1762 01:19:02,104 --> 01:19:04,039 Again, my team, amazing. 1763 01:19:04,873 --> 01:19:06,408 I can't thank them enough. 1764 01:19:06,408 --> 01:19:11,246 - To me that was a very good way for this to happen. 1765 01:19:11,246 --> 01:19:14,049 Like the people said, you had such huge advantage, 1766 01:19:14,049 --> 01:19:15,417 and this and that, 1767 01:19:15,417 --> 01:19:18,887 and you got your ass beat in that first round, 1768 01:19:18,887 --> 01:19:20,922 you got rocked that one time. 1769 01:19:20,922 --> 01:19:24,159 I thought the round was over when she got hit like that, 1770 01:19:24,159 --> 01:19:26,728 - Once she hit me a few times, like rocked me real good, 1771 01:19:26,728 --> 01:19:29,164 my game plan kind of went out the window, 1772 01:19:29,164 --> 01:19:32,267 and I just started fighting on instinct, and emotion, 1773 01:19:32,267 --> 01:19:34,169 and it's not really what I wanted to do. 1774 01:19:34,169 --> 01:19:38,140 I wanted to be a lot more crisp and technical in there 1775 01:19:38,140 --> 01:19:40,041 and it just kind of turned into a brawl. 1776 01:19:41,710 --> 01:19:44,412 (Marino humming) 1777 01:19:44,412 --> 01:19:47,082 - I think Celine was a tough opponent, you know, 1778 01:19:47,082 --> 01:19:48,650 she rocked her a couple of times, 1779 01:19:48,650 --> 01:19:51,052 surprised her a couple of times. 1780 01:19:51,052 --> 01:19:53,088 - She's really representing transgender athletes 1781 01:19:53,088 --> 01:19:55,624 and representing transgender people well. 1782 01:19:55,624 --> 01:19:59,528 And I can't wait to see what she has to do in the future. 1783 01:19:59,528 --> 01:20:03,798 - Alana said to me, if she wins, 1784 01:20:03,798 --> 01:20:08,270 she wins because she's a woman that's really a man. 1785 01:20:08,270 --> 01:20:11,573 And if she loses then she's, you know, 1786 01:20:12,507 --> 01:20:15,243 just a real weakling. 1787 01:20:15,243 --> 01:20:16,678 She couldn't win. 1788 01:20:16,678 --> 01:20:21,216 There was no outcome that her detractors would not say, 1789 01:20:21,216 --> 01:20:24,219 "Look how bad she is." 1790 01:20:24,219 --> 01:20:28,023 I think winning with jujitsu was good 1791 01:20:29,991 --> 01:20:34,763 because jujitsu is a martial art that emphasizes skill, 1792 01:20:35,697 --> 01:20:38,733 not strength, not brutality, 1793 01:20:38,733 --> 01:20:40,869 not brute force. 1794 01:20:40,869 --> 01:20:43,238 And so for her to win this way, 1795 01:20:43,238 --> 01:20:45,307 it's just the best possible outcome. 1796 01:20:46,441 --> 01:20:47,609 - She's tough as nails, 1797 01:20:47,609 --> 01:20:49,277 gosh, she's tough. 1798 01:20:49,277 --> 01:20:50,812 I thanked her. 1799 01:20:50,812 --> 01:20:53,648 What I said to her was, nous defions, 1800 01:20:53,648 --> 01:20:55,617 which is French for we defy. 1801 01:20:55,617 --> 01:20:57,285 It was one of the slogans 1802 01:20:57,285 --> 01:21:00,555 of the French resistance fighters back in World War II. 1803 01:21:00,555 --> 01:21:03,725 And then it got rolled over into like special operations, 1804 01:21:03,725 --> 01:21:06,795 and it felt appropriate at the time. 1805 01:21:08,430 --> 01:21:11,299 The gravity of the situation hasn't really sunk in yet, 1806 01:21:11,299 --> 01:21:12,067 I guess. 1807 01:21:13,602 --> 01:21:15,804 Like I know a lot of people are gonna have a lot to say. 1808 01:21:17,706 --> 01:21:18,740 What's next for me, hopefully, 1809 01:21:18,740 --> 01:21:19,608 is another fight. 1810 01:21:19,741 --> 01:21:22,811 (suspenseful music) 1811 01:21:25,881 --> 01:21:29,117 (suspenseful music) 1812 01:21:29,985 --> 01:21:32,520 We got a lot of positive messages from, 1813 01:21:32,520 --> 01:21:34,689 I would say probably mostly queer and trans people. 1814 01:21:34,689 --> 01:21:36,658 Ad I'm really happy to have been able 1815 01:21:37,592 --> 01:21:38,860 to elbow my way in there 1816 01:21:38,860 --> 01:21:40,729 and get some representation, you know? 1817 01:21:40,729 --> 01:21:42,464 The problem is, like, 1818 01:21:42,464 --> 01:21:43,732 because I'm trans 1819 01:21:43,732 --> 01:21:45,000 and because there has been so much public backlash, 1820 01:21:45,000 --> 01:21:46,768 or there's been very loud backlash, 1821 01:21:46,768 --> 01:21:49,704 anyone that would speak in support of me 1822 01:21:49,704 --> 01:21:50,939 is probably too afraid to. 1823 01:21:50,939 --> 01:21:52,908 A lot of folks in the right wing 1824 01:21:52,908 --> 01:21:54,309 are looking for a scapegoat. 1825 01:21:54,309 --> 01:21:57,245 They have a vested interest in letting that outrage 1826 01:21:57,245 --> 01:21:59,748 continue to be generated, because they make money off of it. 1827 01:21:59,748 --> 01:22:01,249 - Today for our daily cancellation, 1828 01:22:01,249 --> 01:22:03,551 we turn to the story of MMA fighter and woman beater, 1829 01:22:03,551 --> 01:22:04,853 Alana McLaughlin. 1830 01:22:04,853 --> 01:22:07,389 During the Combate Global prelims on Friday night, 1831 01:22:07,389 --> 01:22:10,825 McLaughlin fought and easily defeated Celine Provost, 1832 01:22:10,825 --> 01:22:12,427 another MMA fighter. 1833 01:22:12,427 --> 01:22:13,929 To be more specific, after beating her across the head 1834 01:22:13,929 --> 01:22:15,263 and the body for a couple of rounds, 1835 01:22:15,263 --> 01:22:16,698 he eventually got her into a submission hold 1836 01:22:16,698 --> 01:22:17,499 and choked her out. 1837 01:22:17,499 --> 01:22:18,967 This was, again, 1838 01:22:18,967 --> 01:22:20,302 a man beating the crap out of a woman. 1839 01:22:20,302 --> 01:22:24,372 - Once you get violence into the equation, right, 1840 01:22:24,372 --> 01:22:25,807 then all of a sudden there has to be 1841 01:22:25,807 --> 01:22:27,275 a little bit of pushback. 1842 01:22:27,275 --> 01:22:28,343 Like, do you want these bitches being beat up 1843 01:22:28,343 --> 01:22:29,644 by a dude who's like an ex-Navy seal? 1844 01:22:29,644 --> 01:22:31,046 - Just look at this 1845 01:22:31,046 --> 01:22:33,381 as like an animal observing two other animals 1846 01:22:33,381 --> 01:22:34,382 in a combat mode. 1847 01:22:34,382 --> 01:22:37,285 And you can clearly see which one 1848 01:22:37,285 --> 01:22:41,356 has a higher likelihood of harming the other one. 1849 01:22:41,356 --> 01:22:43,358 - Like more people have been sort of speaking out about it, 1850 01:22:43,358 --> 01:22:45,493 but they still tiptoe around it 1851 01:22:45,493 --> 01:22:49,497 and like use correct pronouns, or pretend like there's 1852 01:22:49,497 --> 01:22:53,368 some kind of major difference between a person 1853 01:22:53,368 --> 01:22:54,536 who says they're a trans woman and a male, 1854 01:22:54,536 --> 01:22:56,037 and there really isn't. 1855 01:22:56,037 --> 01:22:59,441 So I was pretty like grateful to see you just call it out 1856 01:22:59,441 --> 01:23:01,409 and be like, "No, fuck this." 1857 01:23:01,409 --> 01:23:04,245 - No, I'm just not okay with men beating up women, 1858 01:23:04,245 --> 01:23:05,814 it's just disgusting and wrong. 1859 01:23:05,814 --> 01:23:07,315 Being an athlete, I know, 1860 01:23:07,315 --> 01:23:08,717 this might be a little sexist, 1861 01:23:08,717 --> 01:23:11,019 but the difference between men and women is so big. 1862 01:23:11,019 --> 01:23:12,554 I mean, I'm world class obviously, 1863 01:23:12,554 --> 01:23:15,523 so there might be cases of a good girl beating a bum guy, 1864 01:23:15,523 --> 01:23:16,992 that definitely could happen. 1865 01:23:16,992 --> 01:23:18,793 But like once you get to high levels, 1866 01:23:18,793 --> 01:23:21,363 the difference is just so massive, it's so far from fair. 1867 01:23:21,363 --> 01:23:22,864 Yeah, when I saw the fight 1868 01:23:22,864 --> 01:23:25,500 and I saw the two trans athletes celebrating, you know, 1869 01:23:25,500 --> 01:23:27,936 who'd both beaten up women, I thought it was sick. 1870 01:23:27,936 --> 01:23:29,838 And being a fighter, you know, 1871 01:23:29,838 --> 01:23:31,272 I had to go speak my mind, 1872 01:23:31,272 --> 01:23:32,907 and Twitter doesn't leave much room for nuance. 1873 01:23:32,907 --> 01:23:35,343 So I wasn't saying trans people are necessarily perverse, 1874 01:23:35,343 --> 01:23:38,646 more saying them fighting women are sick and perverse, 1875 01:23:38,646 --> 01:23:41,015 - You know, if someone loudly declares themselves my enemy, 1876 01:23:41,015 --> 01:23:42,283 I believe them. 1877 01:23:42,283 --> 01:23:43,785 If you hate me, I hate you right back. 1878 01:23:43,785 --> 01:23:47,856 I'm not going outta my way to ruin someone else's life, 1879 01:23:47,856 --> 01:23:49,891 but they sure as shit are trying to do it to me. 1880 01:23:49,891 --> 01:23:52,861 - Putting herself out there in this very, like, 1881 01:23:52,861 --> 01:23:57,499 international public way to be, you know, 1882 01:23:57,499 --> 01:24:02,170 a target of transphobic hate. 1883 01:24:02,170 --> 01:24:04,639 I do know that it bothers her, 1884 01:24:04,639 --> 01:24:08,276 and I've seen it, but I've also seen her rise above it. 1885 01:24:08,276 --> 01:24:10,512 - Look at her Twitter, like, 1886 01:24:10,512 --> 01:24:13,348 she says something to somebody, 1887 01:24:13,348 --> 01:24:15,950 and they answer thinking they've shut her down, 1888 01:24:15,950 --> 01:24:17,919 but she's set them up. 1889 01:24:17,919 --> 01:24:19,521 It's the same as, you know, 1890 01:24:19,521 --> 01:24:22,056 like you give a punch and the fighter moves back 1891 01:24:22,056 --> 01:24:23,525 and you come in 1892 01:24:23,525 --> 01:24:25,093 or you give a kick and you move in with a punch, 1893 01:24:25,093 --> 01:24:26,561 she does that online. 1894 01:24:26,561 --> 01:24:28,129 - It's Jake Shields, right? 1895 01:24:29,364 --> 01:24:33,568 He posted pictures of me before and after, I guess. 1896 01:24:33,568 --> 01:24:35,770 It kind of demonstrates that, yeah, 1897 01:24:35,770 --> 01:24:37,238 I lost like 50 pounds of fucking muscle. 1898 01:24:37,238 --> 01:24:40,542 You know, I clearly don't have the same build that I had. 1899 01:24:40,542 --> 01:24:44,078 I mean, most people that see those two pictures side by side 1900 01:24:44,078 --> 01:24:45,346 don't think it's the same person 1901 01:24:45,346 --> 01:24:48,683 except the tattoos match, you know? 1902 01:24:48,683 --> 01:24:50,552 And so he kind of pretty clearly demonstrated my point, 1903 01:24:50,552 --> 01:24:53,021 and then he kind of slipped up, 1904 01:24:53,021 --> 01:24:54,289 and somebody said 1905 01:24:54,289 --> 01:24:57,659 something about me being attractive or not. 1906 01:24:57,659 --> 01:25:00,862 And then I think he specifically said something like, 1907 01:25:00,862 --> 01:25:02,363 "Well, she got hotter, yeah, 1908 01:25:02,363 --> 01:25:04,732 but not my type", which is just like. 1909 01:25:06,234 --> 01:25:07,435 - I shouldn't be allowed to have a phone, 1910 01:25:07,435 --> 01:25:09,003 I just tweet weird shit that pops in my head. 1911 01:25:09,003 --> 01:25:11,806 Like, I am obviously strongly against the trans athletes, 1912 01:25:11,806 --> 01:25:13,341 but a lot of it's fooling around. 1913 01:25:13,341 --> 01:25:14,742 You know, I was just messing around with Alana, 1914 01:25:14,742 --> 01:25:17,378 I don't necessarily think she's a bad person. 1915 01:25:17,378 --> 01:25:18,913 I don't think she should be doing what she's doing, 1916 01:25:18,913 --> 01:25:19,781 but I don't have, like, 1917 01:25:19,781 --> 01:25:21,115 hate in my heart. 1918 01:25:21,115 --> 01:25:22,083 You know, originally I didn't realize 1919 01:25:22,083 --> 01:25:23,384 that the other girl had agreed, 1920 01:25:23,384 --> 01:25:24,752 'cause in the vast majority of these cases, 1921 01:25:24,752 --> 01:25:26,988 the girls don't have a choice, they're forced to. 1922 01:25:26,988 --> 01:25:28,490 So that did give me, like I said, 1923 01:25:28,490 --> 01:25:30,558 it gave me a slightly different perspective because, 1924 01:25:30,558 --> 01:25:32,026 you know, I do think for the most part, 1925 01:25:32,026 --> 01:25:34,462 you know, adults should be able to choose what they do. 1926 01:25:34,462 --> 01:25:36,431 - You'll be amazing whatever you do, 1927 01:25:36,431 --> 01:25:38,166 you're one of those annoying people 1928 01:25:38,166 --> 01:25:39,801 that's good at everything you do, 1929 01:25:40,969 --> 01:25:41,903 and yet we still love you. 1930 01:25:41,903 --> 01:25:43,137 - You say that. 1931 01:25:44,439 --> 01:25:47,575 Yeah, I mean, I don't know. 1932 01:25:47,575 --> 01:25:50,111 We'll just have to see how shit goes. 1933 01:25:50,111 --> 01:25:51,613 The death threats that I get, 1934 01:25:51,613 --> 01:25:53,715 sometimes it's like open threats where it's like, 1935 01:25:53,715 --> 01:25:55,316 "Oh, we're gonna fucking kill you." 1936 01:25:55,316 --> 01:25:58,019 And then other times it'll just be like a string of letters, 1937 01:25:58,019 --> 01:26:00,922 and it's "You will never be a woman", you know? 1938 01:26:00,922 --> 01:26:01,823 And it's like, 1939 01:26:01,823 --> 01:26:02,624 "Sorry, I already am, 1940 01:26:02,624 --> 01:26:03,758 you can't fucking change that." 1941 01:26:03,758 --> 01:26:04,726 - Could I be putting trans people 1942 01:26:04,726 --> 01:26:05,627 in danger with my attitude? 1943 01:26:06,995 --> 01:26:08,596 Honestly, I've absolutely never thought about that, 1944 01:26:08,596 --> 01:26:11,533 'cause I get so many death threats from trans athletes 1945 01:26:11,533 --> 01:26:14,736 and these people, and I never really thought 1946 01:26:14,736 --> 01:26:16,104 that maybe they're getting the same. 1947 01:26:16,104 --> 01:26:18,640 You know, I certainly hope I've never done anything 1948 01:26:18,640 --> 01:26:20,775 to trigger anyone towards violence. 1949 01:26:20,775 --> 01:26:23,545 And you know, I have to be critical, 1950 01:26:23,545 --> 01:26:25,980 I can't not be critical of something I believe. 1951 01:26:25,980 --> 01:26:29,417 So I can't be responsible if someone follows me 1952 01:26:29,417 --> 01:26:30,885 does something crazy. 1953 01:26:30,885 --> 01:26:34,055 - They're literally telling you to kill yourself. 1954 01:26:34,055 --> 01:26:35,557 But they'll frame it in a way 1955 01:26:35,557 --> 01:26:37,258 where it doesn't get taken down off of social media. 1956 01:26:37,258 --> 01:26:38,927 Join the 41%, 1957 01:26:38,927 --> 01:26:41,729 because they're citing high suicide rates in trans youth. 1958 01:26:41,729 --> 01:26:43,598 So Jake Shields will lie to you 1959 01:26:43,598 --> 01:26:45,633 and say that he doesn't advocate 1960 01:26:45,633 --> 01:26:47,569 for violence against trans people. 1961 01:26:47,569 --> 01:26:49,771 But here he is tweeting about how teachers 1962 01:26:49,771 --> 01:26:52,473 that affirm trans kids should be tried and executed. 1963 01:26:52,473 --> 01:26:54,809 Like, if you search his profile for trans, 1964 01:26:54,809 --> 01:26:57,745 this is it, hundreds upon hundreds of tweets. 1965 01:26:57,745 --> 01:27:00,715 He talks more about trans people than trans people do. 1966 01:27:00,715 --> 01:27:02,917 Jake says that it's only about sports, 1967 01:27:02,917 --> 01:27:05,153 that he doesn't care about trans people otherwise, 1968 01:27:05,153 --> 01:27:08,756 but here he is calling trans women mentally ill, 1969 01:27:08,756 --> 01:27:10,458 we're deviants. 1970 01:27:10,458 --> 01:27:12,393 None of this has anything to do with sports. 1971 01:27:12,393 --> 01:27:13,628 No amount of bending over backwards 1972 01:27:13,628 --> 01:27:16,598 is going to win anybody over. 1973 01:27:16,598 --> 01:27:19,400 If you wanna stick it to the woke moralists, 1974 01:27:19,400 --> 01:27:20,768 then you hate trans people. 1975 01:27:20,768 --> 01:27:24,639 - So often social media becomes an echo chamber, 1976 01:27:24,639 --> 01:27:27,976 and we lose some of the other really beautiful things 1977 01:27:27,976 --> 01:27:29,777 that are happening around the country. 1978 01:27:29,777 --> 01:27:33,281 We talk again a lot about how many bills have introduced. 1979 01:27:33,281 --> 01:27:35,850 The exciting thing is that last year 1980 01:27:35,850 --> 01:27:40,455 we stopped 96% of those bills from passing. 1981 01:27:40,455 --> 01:27:42,023 The other really positive things 1982 01:27:42,023 --> 01:27:45,260 that we're seeing is just more visibility 1983 01:27:45,260 --> 01:27:47,395 of trans athletes overall. 1984 01:27:47,395 --> 01:27:50,765 You have kids and trans adults 1985 01:27:50,765 --> 01:27:53,101 from all over the world who are able to tune in 1986 01:27:53,101 --> 01:27:54,836 and see Alana come out 1987 01:27:54,836 --> 01:27:56,571 with a trans flag around her shoulders. 1988 01:27:56,571 --> 01:27:57,872 I mean, when I watched that, 1989 01:27:57,872 --> 01:28:00,642 I was in tears, because never in my lifetime 1990 01:28:00,642 --> 01:28:02,076 did I think I would see that 1991 01:28:02,076 --> 01:28:04,178 and did I think I would see it being celebrated. 1992 01:28:04,178 --> 01:28:05,647 - Will she fight again? 1993 01:28:05,647 --> 01:28:07,548 Look, the truth of the matter is it's very hard 1994 01:28:07,548 --> 01:28:10,385 to find an opponent for her, it just is. 1995 01:28:10,385 --> 01:28:11,653 The truth is, you know, 1996 01:28:11,653 --> 01:28:13,788 she's in her late 30s. 1997 01:28:13,788 --> 01:28:17,725 The truth is people are attracted to see her fight 1998 01:28:17,725 --> 01:28:19,227 maybe for the wrong reasons. 1999 01:28:19,227 --> 01:28:23,064 Whatever it is that we hear or read about Alana, 2000 01:28:23,064 --> 01:28:25,700 that's not gonna change anyone's mind. 2001 01:28:25,700 --> 01:28:30,605 Her commitment to making sure everyone is protected, 2002 01:28:31,739 --> 01:28:33,574 making sure everyone has the right 2003 01:28:33,574 --> 01:28:36,878 to express their point of view, even her haters, 2004 01:28:36,878 --> 01:28:38,379 these are the strengths of Alana, 2005 01:28:38,379 --> 01:28:40,248 and that's what will convince people 2006 01:28:40,248 --> 01:28:45,353 that transgender people are people, they're not monsters. 2007 01:28:47,188 --> 01:28:50,792 I don't think it's Alana's fighting that will change minds. 2008 01:28:50,792 --> 01:28:52,560 I think it's Alana's thinking 2009 01:28:52,560 --> 01:28:54,762 and talking that will change people's minds. 2010 01:28:57,732 --> 01:29:01,502 (gentle instrumental music) 2011 01:29:01,669 --> 01:29:03,538 (cars honking) (gentle instrumental music) 2012 01:29:03,538 --> 01:29:04,505 - It's ironic that one of the few places 2013 01:29:04,505 --> 01:29:07,041 I felt in peace was in the cage. 2014 01:29:07,041 --> 01:29:09,043 It's out here that I feel like I'm a war, 2015 01:29:09,043 --> 01:29:10,912 outgunned and behind enemy lines. 2016 01:29:12,246 --> 01:29:14,882 The fight last year hasn't launched an MMA career. 2017 01:29:14,882 --> 01:29:17,919 A year later and I'm still waiting for another fight. 2018 01:29:17,919 --> 01:29:20,354 Hell, I'm still trying to find a place to train in Portland 2019 01:29:20,354 --> 01:29:22,223 where I'm actually welcome. 2020 01:29:22,223 --> 01:29:23,891 I don't really know what it looks like 2021 01:29:23,891 --> 01:29:25,927 to win the public opinion more, but the fight has elevated 2022 01:29:25,927 --> 01:29:27,795 my profile in the trans community. 2023 01:29:28,996 --> 01:29:30,531 Sometimes people tell me I'm a role model, 2024 01:29:30,531 --> 01:29:32,867 but I don't know if I believe it. 2025 01:29:32,867 --> 01:29:35,937 I certainly have more followers now, more fans, 2026 01:29:35,937 --> 01:29:39,073 but a lot more people screaming for my blood too. 2027 01:29:39,073 --> 01:29:43,077 Sometimes I stand alongside giants, people like Chelsea. 2028 01:29:43,077 --> 01:29:45,346 She's another army veteran who spent seven years in prison 2029 01:29:45,346 --> 01:29:48,750 for taking a stand, even starting her transition there. 2030 01:29:48,750 --> 01:29:49,817 - How's it going? - Good, how are you? 2031 01:29:49,817 --> 01:29:51,152 You too. - Good to meet you. 2032 01:29:51,152 --> 01:29:53,387 Are there folks that you know around here? 2033 01:29:53,387 --> 01:29:55,356 - I'm not sure that I do. 2034 01:29:55,356 --> 01:29:56,124 - Do I know you? 2035 01:29:57,125 --> 01:29:58,126 - Well, people that know me, yes. 2036 01:29:58,126 --> 01:30:00,728 Vice versa, not so much. - Yeah. 2037 01:30:01,596 --> 01:30:02,864 - But yeah. - How are things 2038 01:30:02,864 --> 01:30:05,533 going in general, like in life? 2039 01:30:05,533 --> 01:30:06,934 - [Alana] I got. 2040 01:30:08,102 --> 01:30:09,771 - I had to bring the shirt. - Yeah, I mean, 2041 01:30:09,771 --> 01:30:11,572 I almost wore that shirt today, 2042 01:30:11,572 --> 01:30:13,207 and I'm glad I didn't 2043 01:30:13,207 --> 01:30:14,642 because then one of us would've had to change. 2044 01:30:14,642 --> 01:30:17,278 - No, would've just both worn it. 2045 01:30:17,278 --> 01:30:18,713 Girl, one thing, 2046 01:30:18,713 --> 01:30:20,882 in case you didn't know, I'm just telling you, 2047 01:30:20,882 --> 01:30:25,253 what you did in that ring helped me go out to Omaha 2048 01:30:25,253 --> 01:30:28,790 and do that, 'cause that scared the piss outta me. 2049 01:30:29,924 --> 01:30:32,093 - Scary shit. - It is, I mean. 2050 01:30:32,093 --> 01:30:34,328 - Nobody can hurt you like family, right? 2051 01:30:34,328 --> 01:30:35,763 - Tell me about it. 2052 01:30:35,763 --> 01:30:38,866 A personal anecdote, when I went home this past summer, 2053 01:30:38,866 --> 01:30:40,935 family hadn't seen me in four years. 2054 01:30:40,935 --> 01:30:43,104 They hadn't seen me since the medical nuts 2055 01:30:43,104 --> 01:30:44,772 and bolts of my transition. 2056 01:30:44,772 --> 01:30:46,974 They hadn't seen me since I started that. 2057 01:30:46,974 --> 01:30:49,444 So in a sense it was coming out. 2058 01:30:49,444 --> 01:30:52,280 And you wanna talk about fear? 2059 01:30:52,280 --> 01:30:53,781 That was fear. 2060 01:30:53,781 --> 01:30:56,284 I hadn't felt that level of fear and anxiety, 2061 01:30:56,284 --> 01:30:58,252 probably since I was a little kid. 2062 01:30:59,453 --> 01:31:02,056 One of the things that got me through that 2063 01:31:03,291 --> 01:31:06,227 was just that image of Alana bringing that flag out, 2064 01:31:06,227 --> 01:31:10,331 walking down that gangway towards that cage. 2065 01:31:10,331 --> 01:31:12,900 That bucked me up. 2066 01:31:12,900 --> 01:31:15,536 What she's done in terms of using her voice 2067 01:31:15,536 --> 01:31:16,838 and her activism, 2068 01:31:16,838 --> 01:31:19,440 and continuing to speak out about trans rights 2069 01:31:19,440 --> 01:31:21,309 and continuing to speak out about things 2070 01:31:21,309 --> 01:31:24,645 that have nothing to do with sports. 2071 01:31:24,645 --> 01:31:28,649 Be open about mental health, be open about PTSD, 2072 01:31:28,649 --> 01:31:32,954 be open about the experiences that she went through 2073 01:31:32,954 --> 01:31:34,922 in the military, and be critical of them. 2074 01:31:36,557 --> 01:31:40,027 That is something people need to hear, because in a sense, 2075 01:31:42,263 --> 01:31:44,599 she's an example of how our society chews people up 2076 01:31:44,599 --> 01:31:45,933 and spits 'em out. 2077 01:31:45,933 --> 01:31:47,401 She's a transgender veteran, 2078 01:31:47,401 --> 01:31:49,804 she fought for your right to hate her. 2079 01:31:54,842 --> 01:31:58,179 And think about the lunacy of that sentence for a second. 2080 01:31:58,179 --> 01:32:01,515 - Well, I decided to walk out with the trans flag 2081 01:32:01,515 --> 01:32:04,385 instead of the American flag, because frankly, 2082 01:32:04,385 --> 01:32:08,422 the American flag, for a lot of people, 2083 01:32:08,422 --> 01:32:10,524 it doesn't stand for anything good, you know? 2084 01:32:10,524 --> 01:32:11,926 You know, I've said it before, 2085 01:32:11,926 --> 01:32:13,861 but it's safer in that ring 2086 01:32:13,861 --> 01:32:15,963 than it is out here in the fucking streets. 2087 01:32:18,299 --> 01:32:20,668 I didn't have a gun pointed in my face in the cage, 2088 01:32:20,668 --> 01:32:22,103 and I've had that happen here. 2089 01:32:23,638 --> 01:32:26,107 - She's gonna go in and fight the good fight in every fight. 2090 01:32:29,043 --> 01:32:30,378 And I think, you know, 2091 01:32:30,378 --> 01:32:33,147 ultimately that's a tough way to live. 2092 01:32:33,147 --> 01:32:35,483 And I think what Alana needs to do is figure out 2093 01:32:35,483 --> 01:32:38,619 what's important for her, and focus her prodigious 2094 01:32:38,619 --> 01:32:43,491 and tremendous energies on the fight for Alana to be happy. 2095 01:32:45,059 --> 01:32:47,395 - Whatever happens with Alana in her fight career, 2096 01:32:47,395 --> 01:32:50,731 she will continue fighting, we will continue fighting, 2097 01:32:52,233 --> 01:32:55,903 and eventually, just as the tides of history will turn, 2098 01:32:55,903 --> 01:32:59,006 we will look back on this conversation 20 years later 2099 01:32:59,006 --> 01:33:02,076 and say, "Wow, I can't believe 2100 01:33:02,076 --> 01:33:06,514 that we are trying to deny other human beings 2101 01:33:06,514 --> 01:33:09,450 access to sports." 2102 01:33:09,450 --> 01:33:10,918 - It's important to see representation, 2103 01:33:10,918 --> 01:33:13,521 to see people like you on camera, 2104 01:33:13,521 --> 01:33:16,090 out in the world doing the kinds of things you want to do, 2105 01:33:16,090 --> 01:33:17,959 because they're symbols in that imagery, like, 2106 01:33:17,959 --> 01:33:19,760 that's how we build our hopes and dreams. 2107 01:33:19,760 --> 01:33:20,995 And I think we all should do that. 2108 01:33:20,995 --> 01:33:22,430 We all should get that chance. 2109 01:33:23,397 --> 01:33:26,167 (waves crashing) 2110 01:33:29,737 --> 01:33:31,172 - Not really any regrets. 2111 01:33:33,274 --> 01:33:34,342 Yeah, I mean, 2112 01:33:34,342 --> 01:33:35,609 everything that I would want to change 2113 01:33:35,609 --> 01:33:37,244 is outside of my control. 2114 01:33:37,244 --> 01:33:40,381 So there's not really any point in me fixating on. 2115 01:33:40,381 --> 01:33:43,751 About the best I can do is just kind of be ready 2116 01:33:43,751 --> 01:33:46,220 when the call comes, if there is another fight. 2117 01:33:46,220 --> 01:33:48,522 I want a place of my own, I want happiness. 2118 01:33:48,522 --> 01:33:52,827 But when I was a kid, I think that meant isolation. 2119 01:33:52,827 --> 01:33:55,896 And now it doesn't mean that so much. 2120 01:33:55,896 --> 01:33:58,566 You know, when I transitioned, 2121 01:33:58,566 --> 01:34:01,736 that was kind of my decision to actually join humanity, 2122 01:34:01,736 --> 01:34:03,070 to be part of things. 2123 01:34:03,871 --> 01:34:06,007 So yeah, once again, 2124 01:34:06,007 --> 01:34:08,242 like with anything else, it's a balancing act. 2125 01:34:08,242 --> 01:34:10,077 You know, I want my little piece of the pie, 2126 01:34:10,077 --> 01:34:12,179 but I want it to be part of the pie, 2127 01:34:12,179 --> 01:34:15,349 I don't want to be hoisted off in a corner somewhere. 2128 01:34:18,052 --> 01:34:21,622 (gentle instrumental music) 2129 01:34:21,622 --> 01:34:26,193 ♪ If it were yesterday 2130 01:34:26,193 --> 01:34:30,865 ♪ I might have sailed away 2131 01:34:30,865 --> 01:34:35,936 ♪ But the devil had my soul to take ♪ 2132 01:34:37,805 --> 01:34:42,643 ♪ All the damage done 2133 01:34:42,643 --> 01:34:46,614 ♪ With that loaded gun 2134 01:34:46,614 --> 01:34:51,519 ♪ To the streets you run away alone in the night ♪ 2135 01:34:52,353 --> 01:34:56,157 (gentle instrumental music) 2136 01:34:56,157 --> 01:35:01,128 ♪ No time can take the words I say ♪ 2137 01:35:02,163 --> 01:35:06,267 ♪ Oh, if it were yesterday today ♪ 2138 01:35:08,102 --> 01:35:11,972 (gentle instrumental music) 2139 01:35:13,874 --> 01:35:17,211 - "A child grows among palmettos, unsure of their fit, 2140 01:35:17,211 --> 01:35:18,412 unsure of their place, 2141 01:35:18,412 --> 01:35:20,715 tucked in the Bible belt, Gamecocks, 2142 01:35:20,715 --> 01:35:24,151 tiger show, no fear while growing up queer. 2143 01:35:25,086 --> 01:35:26,921 Molten fire hardened 2144 01:35:26,921 --> 01:35:30,458 against the Taliban queer palmetto child off to Afghanistan. 2145 01:35:30,458 --> 01:35:33,027 Not just a soldier, but now an operator. 2146 01:35:33,027 --> 01:35:35,029 But six years and change later 2147 01:35:35,029 --> 01:35:37,765 and you find out who you really are. 2148 01:35:37,765 --> 01:35:40,968 As your psalm and cream, flowing like a dream, 2149 01:35:40,968 --> 01:35:43,637 Athena, Alana will not hide. 2150 01:35:43,637 --> 01:35:47,241 You saw the t-shirt, end trans genocide. 2151 01:35:47,241 --> 01:35:49,410 Buckle up, let's ride. 2152 01:35:49,410 --> 01:35:51,412 (gentle instrumental music) 2153 01:35:51,412 --> 01:35:54,281 Oh, bonjour, mademoiselle, 2154 01:35:54,281 --> 01:35:55,750 je m'appelle Celine, 2155 01:35:55,750 --> 01:35:58,519 I have come from France to steal your dream. 2156 01:35:58,519 --> 01:36:00,654 The French woman was tactical, practical, 2157 01:36:00,654 --> 01:36:03,791 the reach was locked on, the tone was too good. 2158 01:36:03,791 --> 01:36:06,560 The chin was willing, but the legs were buckling. 2159 01:36:06,560 --> 01:36:09,163 The girl is getting rocked, the girl is getting knocked. 2160 01:36:09,163 --> 01:36:10,998 How did she survive? 2161 01:36:10,998 --> 01:36:12,633 How did she survive? 2162 01:36:12,633 --> 01:36:16,637 How did she survive being asked, but why? 2163 01:36:16,637 --> 01:36:19,273 The second rounds, her swarm fought the barrage, 2164 01:36:19,273 --> 01:36:20,841 she wants to take down. 2165 01:36:20,841 --> 01:36:23,377 If we can get crown bound, I'll break the fight down. 2166 01:36:23,377 --> 01:36:25,779 Slip the punches, got her foothold, 2167 01:36:25,779 --> 01:36:30,017 landed on the canvas, BJJ, time to roll. 2168 01:36:30,017 --> 01:36:31,552 Alana has landed. 2169 01:36:31,552 --> 01:36:34,088 And then you heard a million trans hearts hope. 2170 01:36:34,922 --> 01:36:37,625 Rear naked choke, tap out. 2171 01:36:37,625 --> 01:36:39,059 That's the show, folks. 2172 01:36:40,261 --> 01:36:43,964 Raise that arm high, raise that head high, 2173 01:36:43,964 --> 01:36:47,234 show that sly smile with a legend 2174 01:36:47,234 --> 01:36:50,137 and all us trans people on your side. 2175 01:36:50,137 --> 01:36:55,075 Queer child from the palmettos, you no longer have to hide." 2176 01:36:55,075 --> 01:36:58,646 (gentle instrumental music) 2177 01:36:59,947 --> 01:37:03,117 (suspenseful music) 2178 01:37:07,922 --> 01:37:11,091 (suspenseful music) 2179 01:37:14,328 --> 01:37:17,531 (suspenseful music)