GO! Athletes, the LGBTQ athlete empowerment network, has launched a social media campaign in support of transgender mixed martial arts fighter Fallon Fox. The campaign, #Fight4Fallon, will encourage everyone to become #FallonFighters.
Fallon came out as transgender in March of this year, shortly after her first professional fight. She has also received a slew of negative attention from the media and from martial arts enthusiasts, facing constant challenges to the authenticity of her gender identity and her professional fighting career. Comments on social media are frequently transphobic.
GO! Athletes is responding to anti-trans treatment that Fallon has had to endure by creating the #Fight4Fallon campaign. The campaign calls on Fallon supporters, and all transgender supporters, to be vocal in support of Fallon's participation in mixed martial arts, to create videos and comments "informing and educating in a respectful way on Fallon's behalf," and to inform others about the lives and realities of transgender athletes.
"Fallon Fox has been a pioneer in the world of sports. The most vicious attacks against her have not come from opponents in the ring, but through the disparaging and transphobic comments on the Internet," said GLAAD National Spokesperson, Wilson Cruz. "It's time for Fallon supporters and the LGBT community to show that we have her back, which is why GLAAD is supporting the #Fight4Fallon campaign."
"It is wonderful to see such support from the #Fight4Fallon campaign," said Fox of the support she has received from the campaign. "GO! Athletes is doing something truly powerful and inspiring by reaching out to everyone who is tired of the bigotry and disrespect directed towards me. #Fight4Fallon puts the power into the people at home to do something about it. I encourage everyone to participate."
TAKE ACTION! The #Fight4Fallon campaign has several ways to get involved:
- Using female pronouns and correcting those who use incorrect pronouns to refer to Fallon
- Choosing to be above the hurtful language by informing and educating in a respectful way on transgender people
- Create a video responding to any myths involving Fallon or transgender athletes
- Use #Fight4Fallon and #FallonsFighters on Twitter.
The campaign will last until Fallon's championship fight on August 1. GLAAD encourages all of our followers to support Fallon by taking part in the campaign.
Fallon joined MTV's Jenni 'JWOWW' Farley LGBT advocates Shane Bitney Crone and Jacob Rudolph, and hundreds of GLAAD supporters at the 44th Annual LGBT Pride March in New York City on Sunday. She is pictured above right with GLAAD's Acting President Dave Montez and below with GLAAD staff and supporters.
