Fallon Fox The Queen of Swords

Pre-Research Reflection

When reading this prompt, I had absolutely no idea who Fallon Fox was or what sport she was associated with. As for my opinion of transgendered athletes I would be accepting to have them participate in sport. Before my cousins passing she aspired and worked very hard to help provide the Sacramento transgendered community have a safe and comfortable place to express themselves. With many supporters in the community the Gender Health Center was established in honor of my cousin. And in support of my cousin I advocate that all transgendered should be allowed to participate in sport.

I think in today’s sports world there would probably less of an issue with a Female to Male (FTM) transgender athletes to participate in male sports and teams. I think that sport organizations would be willing to accept this because technically they are female and do not have the physicality to participate in some high contact sports like football and basketball. However, I can see where some issues may arise when FTM trans have to take testosterone injections and hormones. Now if the participant was a Male to Female (MTF) transgendered athlete a lot of controversy would be focused on the athlete’s physicality and that if the athlete is ‘male’ creates an unfair advantaged for other female athletes.

Research

The figuration of sport, largely impacts those who can play sport and reinforces the notion that there are inherent differences between the sex binary (Carr & Krane, 2011). For example, males are characterized as being strong, tough and better athletes as for women are seen as fragile, graceful and delicate. And because the sex binary is focused in a positivist and biological belief, there is only one truth and the truth is there are only male or female athletes (Carr & Krane, 2011). This ideology has been ingrained throughout history and has become apart of the socialization cycle that  if  a person is male they  play on the male team or if the person is female they play on the female team.  This does not provide a playing field for those who are transgendered. And because of this, the issue has risen to where do transgendered athletes fit into cis-sports world? And in this scenario the question is asked where dies Fallon Fox belong?

One of the main issues and controversies associated with Fallon Fox competing in Women’s Featherweight MMA is that Fox potentially has an unfair advantage because she was born a male.

In Fox’s defense it is difficult to judge who has the advantage in such particular sport. In MMA the athletes are allowed to participate in different weight divisions in which Fox participated in Featherweight over 135 to 145 pounds division (UFC, 2014). To create some fair playing field each athlete is only to contend against others within the same weight division.  Also another aspect that is unknown to some is the process of transformation from Male to Female and the effects it has on the body.

Fox underwent the full transformation and her surgery included the removing gonads which has decreased her levels of male hormones in her blood which are now almost nonexistent (Hass, 2014). Which in fact were even lower than her female opponents (Hass, 2014).  In this case her opponents technically have a degree of advantage over her; for example Ashlee Evans-Smith victory over Fox in the Semifinal of the Featherweight Championship. Smith herself comments on Fox physicality and performance of that fight and states, that “she wasn’t stronger physically when we were pummeling and grappling no. Not physically stronger at all. Her cardio wasn’t better, her ground wasn’t better, I don’t feel like her striking was better at all but definitely when her striking made impact on my face, I got rocked” (Larzara, 2013).  From this interview Smith makes it seem like Fox had no chance in this fight and she was not as athletic as she thought a MTF would be. However, the figurations ideals around the sport remain ingrained. Smith does mention that if she knew about Fox’s gender identity prior to the tournament she would have to definitely consider her participation but because she found out during the Semifinals she stated “ I don’t care who was across the cage from me even if it is a transgendered fighter, if this person used to be a man. I just had my eyes set on a goal and I was going to stick to it no matter what” (Larzara, 2013).  Hopefully one day we can this see this attitude more accepted in the sport figuration that it doesn’t matter on who you are playing.  

To be able to have a more gender inclusive sports world, I do think it is important that transgender athletes have set expectations and guidelines to be able to participate in sport. For example, when the transgendered athletes have to administer their hormone injections there should be limitations and tests to make sure that they are not above average intake that would significantly increase their athletic performance. Another suggestion is that all teams and sports organizations  should undergo some sort of awareness program to be able to make sure that they are aware of different gender identities and expression and that should all be accepted and respected within the sports world. I think these changes will emerge slowly overtime.

References

Carr-Lucas, C.B. & Krane, V. (2011) What is the T in LGBT? Supporting

transgender athletes through sport psychology. Sport Psychologist, 25(4), 532-548.

Hass, N. (2014). Fallon Fox: The Toughest Woman in Sports. GQ. http://www.gq.com/entertainment/sports/201401/fallon-fox-transgender-mma-fighter?currentPage=1

Lazara, S. (2013).  Ashlee Evans –Smith says she wanted to finish what she started or wouldn’t have fought Fallon Fox. MMAInterviews.TV  Retrieved from: http://mmainterviews.tv/2013/11/18/ashlee-evans-smith-says-she-wanted-to-finish-what-she-started-or-wouldnt-have-fought-fallon-fox/

UFC. (2014). Rules and Regulations: Unified Rules and Other MMA Regulations. Retrieved from: http://www.ufc.com/discover/sport/rules-and-regulations