Trans MMA Fighter Is Angry He Can’t Find Female Opponents: ‘Beware of Propaganda!’

Reporter Let s take ░░░░░░░░ look now at a ░░░░░░░░ MMA fighter who s ░░░░░░░░ her powerful voice and ░░░░░░░░ to break down the ░░░░░░░░ barriers for transgender athletes ░░░░░░░░ the brand new documentary ░░░░░░░░ Unfightable Alana McLaughlin gives ░░░░░░░░ up close perspective on ░░░░░░░░ inspiring journey of going ░░░░░░░░ a distinguished U S ░░░░░░░░ Special Forces sergeant to ░░░░░░░░ of the first transgender ░░░░░░░░ in professional mixed martial ░░░░░░░░ And we are lucky ░░░░░░░░ be joined in studio ░░░░░░░░ the one and only ░░░░░░░░ activist and MMA fighter ░░░░░░░░ McLaughlin Thank you so ░░░░░░░░ for joining us It ░░░░░░░░ good to have you ░░░░░░░░ Thank you Reporter with ░░░░░░░░ to talk about this ░░░░░░░░ documentary has a limited ░░░░░░░░ here in New York ░░░░░░░░ now Talk about why ░░░░░░░░ was so important to ░░░░░░░░ this project and maybe ░░░░░░░░ to people why it ░░░░░░░░ called Unfightable because part ░░░░░░░░ it is this journey ░░░░░░░░ actually find someone who ░░░░░░░░ to fight you right ░░░░░░░░ Yeah so it s ░░░░░░░░ Unfightable because of the ░░░░░░░░ not only in finding ░░░░░░░░ an opponent but in ░░░░░░░░ a training camp You ░░░░░░░░ I think it s ░░░░░░░░ important for the movie ░░░░░░░░ be out right now ░░░░░░░░ of the kind of ░░░░░░░░ panic around trans people ░░░░░░░░ now We all saw ░░░░░░░░ happened with the Olympics ░░░░░░░░ cisgender athletes that were ░░░░░░░░ even trans and it ░░░░░░░░ still enough to incite ░░░░░░░░ lot of fear you ░░░░░░░░ Reporter Yeah it was ░░░░░░░░ example of a boxer ░░░░░░░░ there was bad information ░░░░░░░░ out there People accused ░░░░░░░░ boxer of being transgender ░░░░░░░░ they weren t When ░░░░░░░░ saw that what was ░░░░░░░░ reaction to that What ░░░░░░░░ that tell us about ░░░░░░░░ we need to do ░░░░░░░░ just as far as ░░░░░░░░ information as far as ░░░░░░░░ just becoming better educated ░░░░░░░░ MCLAUGHLIN Well I feel ░░░░░░░░ people need to maybe ░░░░░░░░ a breath and take ░░░░░░░░ moment to confirm information ░░░░░░░░ of all but then ░░░░░░░░ know even the idea ░░░░░░░░ there s something wrong ░░░░░░░░ being transgender or that ░░░░░░░░ people don t belong ░░░░░░░░ you know it s ░░░░░░░░ s very dehumanizing Reporter ░░░░░░░░ talk about trans in ░░░░░░░░ as it s just ░░░░░░░░ a lightning rod issue ░░░░░░░░ recent years and oftentimes ░░░░░░░░ might think of a ░░░░░░░░ like racing or a ░░░░░░░░ like swimming and then ░░░░░░░░ you are in a ░░░░░░░░ sport And for those ░░░░░░░░ there who think that ░░░░░░░░ a step too far ░░░░░░░░ can t support that ░░░░░░░░ do you say to ░░░░░░░░ like that to help ░░░░░░░░ understand your story and ░░░░░░░░ you want to be ░░░░░░░░ part of MMA MCLAUGHLIN ░░░░░░░░ would ask them to ░░░░░░░░ of maybe beware of ░░░░░░░░ because when you look ░░░░░░░░ the science behind it ░░░░░░░░ is no reason to ░░░░░░░░ trans women Like we ░░░░░░░░ statistically underrepresented in sports ░░░░░░░░ there s become sort ░░░░░░░░ a panicked narrative about ░░░░░░░░ dominating everything but there ░░░░░░░░ are very few transgender ░░░░░░░░ If I want to ░░░░░░░░ another trans woman I ░░░░░░░░ only the second ever ░░░░░░░░ trans MMA fighter so ░░░░░░░░ How many fights have ░░░░░░░░ had in your career ░░░░░░░░ Just one Reporter Just ░░░░░░░░ MCLAUGHLIN Because I m ░░░░░░░░ unfightable Reporter And and ░░░░░░░░ those and the documentary ░░░░░░░░ a voice to some ░░░░░░░░ who explain why they ░░░░░░░░ it would be unfair ░░░░░░░░ do you respond to ░░░░░░░░ MCLAUGHLIN Angrily Laughter To ░░░░░░░░ honest it might be ░░░░░░░░ to just watch the ░░░░░░░░ and see I objected ░░░░░░░░ some of those voices ░░░░░░░░ included but I think ░░░░░░░░ s probably best that ░░░░░░░░ were just so people ░░░░░░░░ and put a human ░░░░░░░░ on you know not ░░░░░░░░ trans people but our ░░░░░░░░ It s it s ░░░░░░░░ for me to you ░░░░░░░░ kind of be neutral ░░░░░░░░ the issue Reporter Are ░░░░░░░░ still optimistic that you ░░░░░░░░ be able to have ░░░░░░░░ fights in the future ░░░░░░░░ I am I am ░░░░░░░░ know every athlete kind ░░░░░░░░ has has an expiration ░░░░░░░░ but I would very ░░░░░░░░ like to have another ░░░░░░░░ and I m actively ░░░░░░░░ one you know fingers ░░░░░░░░ Talk a little bit ░░░░░░░░ your history and your ░░░░░░░░ in the military Did ░░░░░░░░ play a major role ░░░░░░░░ just how it shaped ░░░░░░░░ and your dream of ░░░░░░░░ to be in the ░░░░░░░░ MCLAUGHLIN It definitely did ░░░░░░░░ know when I was ░░░░░░░░ the Army I kind ░░░░░░░░ used MMA as you ░░░░░░░░ it felt like it ░░░░░░░░ relevant to the job ░░░░░░░░ know when you re ░░░░░░░░ soldier fighting is kind ░░░░░░░░ it s the thing ░░░░░░░░ do It s a ░░░░░░░░ context a different different ░░░░░░░░ of fight but you ░░░░░░░░ my my military experience ░░░░░░░░ you know played a ░░░░░░░░ Reporter What is the ░░░░░░░░ message you hope people ░░░░░░░░ from watching this documentary ░░░░░░░░ conversations do you hope ░░░░░░░░ sparks MCLAUGHLIN Ultimately I ░░░░░░░░ just like people to ░░░░░░░░ that trans people are ░░░░░░░░ you know and some ░░░░░░░░ fight you know some ░░░░░░░░ are in beauty competitions ░░░░░░░░ play chess and and ░░░░░░░░ know I feel like ░░░░░░░░ shouldn t be excluded ░░░░░░░░ any of these spaces ░░░░░░░░ ultimately you know I ░░░░░░░░ like people to be ░░░░░░░░ and maybe resilient but ░░░░░░░░ Reporter Are there other ░░░░░░░░ you hope to still ░░░░░░░░ involved with fighting maybe ░░░░░░░░ you re not in ░░░░░░░░ ring going head to ░░░░░░░░ with someone or is ░░░░░░░░ not going to be ░░░░░░░░ for you MCLAUGHLIN For ░░░░░░░░ that is kind of ░░░░░░░░ primary drive You know ░░░░░░░░ Reporter Yeah MCLAUGHLIN if ░░░░░░░░ m going to be ░░░░░░░░ with fighting I want ░░░░░░░░ be a fighter Reporter ░░░░░░░░ Yeah that s understandable ░░░░░░░░ real quick is do ░░░░░░░░ think the biggest misconception ░░░░░░░░ have about you and ░░░░░░░░ story MCLAUGHLIN I think ░░░░░░░░ are angry at who ░░░░░░░░ imagine me to be ░░░░░░░░ I think this documentary ░░░░░░░░ give them a little ░░░░░░░░ insight into where I ░░░░░░░░ from and who I ░░░░░░░░ as a person Reporter ░░░░░░░░ are you MCLAUGHLIN I ░░░░░░░░ Lady Feral Reporter Lady ░░░░░░░░ that is your name ░░░░░░░░ right It is a ░░░░░░░░ to have you with ░░░░░░░░ Alana McCullough MCLAUGHLIN Thank ░░░░░░░░ very much Reporter Thank ░░░░░░░░ so much for sharing ░░░░░░░░ story We really appreciate ░░░░░░░░ time and hopefully folks ░░░░░░░░ check out the movie ░░░░░░░░ which is out right ░░░░░░░░