On Friday mixed martial artist Fallon Fox will appear in her first professional fight since coming out as transgender. Fox, who came out in an interview with Outsports in March, already won a major battle when the Association of Boxing Commissions allowed her to compete as a woman, citing that she did not have a competitive physical advantage over her opponents.
Fox recently sat down with Yahoo Sports to talk all that’s led up to her history-making fight on Friday. The event will likely make Fox, who is mixed race, the highest profile transgender athlete in the country. She admits that it’s a role that she’s still learning to accept. But the fight will mark a hugely important moment in which a transgender athlete of color is capturing the sports world’s attention.
… She is now an unexpected role model for transgender athletes. While she remains a cautious speaker who is presently doing select interviews, she understands the obligation. She’s content in life. Her 16-year old daughter now lives with her in Chicago. She’s found an American society, while still with distance to travel, becoming more welcoming almost overnight. She’s chasing a dream.
[snip]
"I would say to those kids that were like me not to give up," Fallon said. "I know they are young now and they may be in a position where bullies are against them, but if they don’t give up, someday they’ll have the opportunity to be themselves, to finally have a body that they love."