Fallon Fox and transgender people

Fallon Fox is an American transgender athlete who fought six professional MMA fights between 2012 and 2014.

Background

Fox was born November 29, 1975 in Toledo, Ohio. Fox and spouse had a child prior to getting married, and Fox joined the Navy to support their family. Following an honorable discharge, Fox enrolled at University of Toledo briefly before becoming a truck driver. Fox transitioned in 2006 and had a sanctioned amateur MMA fight in 2011.

Fox fought two sanctioned matches before coming out as trans in 2013. The revelation was immediately controversial and the subject of intense media scrutiny. Fox retired in 2014 after a match against Tamikka Brents. Fox’s pro record was 5-1 with three knockouts.

In 2014, Fox was inducted into the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame. The 2015 documentary Game Face covers the controversy around Fox’s career.

The reaction to Fox was particularly intense in the right-wing blogosphere and with anti-trans feminists. Joe Rogan in particular brought up Fox on many occasions.

Transbian “call-out culture”

Fox was a central figure in the transbian “call-out culture” movement of the mid-2010s led by Parker Molloy and Cristan Williams. This movement was marked by several fights around inclusion in “women’s spaces,” including sex-segregated competitive sports, the “cotton ceiling” debate on dating preferences of self-identified lesbians, the Michigan Women’s Music Festival, anti-drag sentiment, and prescriptivism around language. The movement was particularly fixated on TERFs and began using the term TERF to mean any opponent or critic of their views and actions. Fallon co-authored with Molloy, wrote for Williams at The TransAdvocate, and signed many petitions and open letters criticizing other trans people.

After retirement

In 2020, Fox drew criticism after calling J.K. Rowling an “idiot” on Twitter and posting: “For the record, I knocked two out. One woman’s skull was fractured, the other not. And just so you know, I enjoyed it. See, I love smacking up TEFS [sic] in the cage who talk transphobic nonsense. It’s bliss!”

After Fox was interviewed in 2022 on BBC Radio 4 about trans athlete bans, several organized opponents of trans athletes complained to the BBC. Fair Play For Women wrote in part, “Fox should never have been booked and an on-air apology is required.” The BBC Complaints Unit responded that BBC was “unaware of previous comments made by Fallon Fox” and if they had known, “we would have conducted the interview differently. […] We have discussed your concerns with the team responsible and we’d like to apologise for this oversight.” Williams was not satisfied with an off-air apology. Fox responded, “I specifically mentioned TERFs. And I had good reason to call them that and feel that way about it. Especially since our jobs were to actually try to beat each other up.” Fox said the comments were references to opponents Erica Newsome and Tamikka Brents, who felt their matches against Fox were unfair.

In 2024, Fox shared a popular post on Instagram about randomly picking up Jazz Jennings while working as a Lyft driver.

References

Reuters Fact Check (April 11, 2023). Fact Check: Altered video does not show MMA fighter Fallon Fox fracturing opponent’s skull. Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/fact-check/altered-video-does-not-show-mma-fighter-fallon-fox-fracturing-opponents-skull-idUSL1N36E1ZD/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Stone, Gemma (July 20, 2022). Fallon Fox hits back after BBC apologise for platforming her. Trans Writes https://transwrites.world/fallon-fox-hits-back-after-bbc-apologise/

Ennis, Dawn (July 17, 2022). Exclusive: Fallon Fox responds to BBC apology over its attack on her. Los Angeles Blade https://www.losangelesblade.com/2022/07/17/exclusive-fallon-fox-responds-to-bbc-apology-over-its-attack-on-her/

Kroll, Justin (April 21, 2021). Mark Gordon Pictures Developing Biopic On Fallon Fox, The First Openly Transgender MMA Fighter. Deadline https://deadline.com/2021/04/mark-gordon-pictures-biopic-fallon-fox-1234741056/

Silverman, Robert (July 2, 2020). How Joe Rogan Made Trans MMA Fighter Fallon Fox’s Life a Living Hell. Daily Beast https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-joe-rogan-made-trans-mma-fighter-fallon-foxs-life-a-living-hell/

Kahrl, Christina (February 18, 2015). Grantland Q&A: Fallon Fox. Grantland https://grantland.com/features/grantland-qa-fallon-fox/

Truitt, Jos (February 16, 2015). Fallon Fox on life as a trans athlete: ‘The scope of vitriol and anger was mind-blowing.’ The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/feb/16/fallon-fox-trans-mma-athlete-interview

Felt, Hunter (November 14, 2014). Transgender MMA fighter Fallon Fox faces toughest opponent yet: prejudice. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/nov/14/transgender-mma-fighter-fallon-fox-joe-rogan

Lees, Paris (September 26, 2014). MMA Fighter Fallon Fox Is a Woman, Get Over It. Vice https://www.vice.com/en/article/fallon-fox-is-a-woman-get-over-it-925/

Kellaway, Mitch (September 22, 2014). UFC Women’s Champ Refuses to Fight Trans Athlete Fallon Fox. Advocate.com https://www.advocate.com/sports/2014/09/22/ufc-womens-champ-refuses-fight-trans-athlete-fallon-fox

Zeigler, Cyd (July 9, 2014). Gay sports hall of fame inducts 15 new members. Outsport http://www.outsports.com/2014/7/9/5883239/gay-and-lesbian-sports-hall-of-fame-2014

Staff report (May 29, 2014). 25 Transgender People Who Influenced American Culture. Time https://time.com/130734/transgender-celebrities-actors-athletes-in-america/

Maxwell, Nancy; Hass, Robert (December 23, 2013). Fallon Fox, MMA’s First Transgender Fighter. GQ https://www.gq.com/story/fallon-fox-transgender-mma-fighter

Zeigler, Cyd (October 16, 2013). Fallon Fox’s loss brings out the worst in the MMA world. Outsports https://www.outsports.com/2013/10/16/4845066/fallon-foxs-loss-brings-out-the-worst-in-the-mma-world/

Morgan, Glennisha (May 28, 2013). Fallon Fox, Transgender MMA Fighter, Wins First Match Since Coming Out. HuffPost https://www.huffpost.com/entry/fallon-fox-transgender-victory_n_3345934

Brydum, Sunnivie (May 26, 2013). Fallon Fox, MMA’s First Trans Fighter, Wins First Match. Advocate.com https://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2013/05/26/fallon-fox-mmas-first-trans-fighter-wins-first-match

Gregory, Sean (May 24, 2013). Should A Former Man Be Able To Fight Women? Time https://keepingscore.blogs.time.com/2013/05/24/should-a-former-man-be-able-to-fight-women/

McNeil, Franklin (May 23, 2013). Fallon Fox fighting for equality. ESPN https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/9306162/mma-transsexual-fallon-fox-fighting-cage

Bishop, Greg (May 10, 2013). A Pioneer, Reluctantly: For Transgender Fighter Fallon Fox, There Is Solace in the Cage. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/13/sports/for-transgender-fighter-fallon-fox-there-is-solace-in-the-cage.html

Popper, Ben (March 21, 2013). Fighting Fallon Fox: the controversial science of transgender athletes in combat sports. The Verge https://www.theverge.com/2013/3/21/4131174/fallon-fox-mma-science-transgender-fighting-athletes

Martinez, Michael (March 10, 2013). First transgender MMA fighter goes public. CNN https://www.cnn.com/2013/03/09/us/transgender-fighter/index.html

Pugmire, Lance (March 7, 2013). Transgender MMA fighter Fallon Fox puts California panel on the spot. Los Angeles Times https://www.latimes.com/sports/la-xpm-2013-mar-07-la-sp-sn-mma-transgender-fallon-fox-20130307-story.html

McDonough, Katie (March 6, 2013). Let Fallon Fox fight. Salon https://www.salon.com/2013/03/06/let_fallon_fox_fight/

McNeil, Franklin; Isaacson, Melissa (March 6, 2013). FSBC reviewing Fox’s MMA license. ESPN https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/9023730/transgender-fighter-fallon-fox-faces-review-mma-license

Zeigler, Cyd (March 5, 2013). Fallon Fox Comes Out as Trans Pro MMA Fighter. Outsports http://www.outsports.com/2013/3/5/4068840/fallon-fox-trans-pro-mma-fighter

Anti-trans coverage

Somerville, Ewan (July 16, 2022). BBC apologises after interviewing transgender athlete who boasted of violence against women. The Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/07/16/bbc-apologises-interviewing-transgender-athlete-who-boasted/

Selected writing by Fox

Fox, Fallon (January 8, 2015 ). Leelah Alcorn’s Suicide: Conversion Therapy Is Child Abuse. Time https://time.com/3655718/leelah-alcorn-suicide-transgender-therapy/

Fox, Fallon (August 17, 2014). #TERFweek: In stealth with the TERFs at MichFest. TransAdvocate https://www.transadvocate.com/terfweek-in-stealth-with-the-terfs-at-michfest_n_14401.htm

Fox, Fallon (July 28, 2014). TERFs are the new Westboro Baptist Church. TransAdvocate https://www.transadvocate.com/terfs-are-the-new-westboro-baptist-church-2_n_13983.htm

Fox, Fallon; Molloy, Parker Marie (June 18, 2014). Op-ed: Born a Man? No, Born a Baby. The Advocate https://www.advocate.com/commentary/2014/06/18/op-ed-born-man-no-born-baby

Fox, Fallon (May 27, 2014). Should LOGO pull RuPauls drag race? TransAdvocate https://www.transadvocate.com/should-logo-pull-rupauls-drag-race_n_13747.htm

Fox, Fallon (March 4, 2014). Forget The Oscar: Jared Leto Was Miscast in Dallas Buyers Club. Time https://time.com/12407/jared-leto-oscar-dallas-buyers-club-casting-trans-actors/

Fox, Fallon (February 12, 2014). Michael Sam Will Be OK, and I’m a Bit Jealous. Time https://ideas.time.com/2014/02/12/michael-sam-will-be-ok-and-im-a-bit-jealous/

Fox, Fallon (January 22, 2014). The Wrong Way To Write About Trans People. Time https://time.com/2409/the-wrong-way-to-write-about-trans-people/