Trans fighter Alana McLaughlin hits out at Florida Governor in reaction to parody ad against trans athletes

In September 2021, at Combate Global Episode 19, transgender fighter Alana McLaughlin made her MMA debut against Celine Provost. McLaughlin is the second openly trans MMA fighter in the sport's history and a veteran of the U.S. Army Special Forces.

Alana McLaughlin is among the new crop of transgender athletes taking on cisgender counterparts. Florida's Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, has been critical of the NCAA in the past for allowing a transgender woman to emerge as the victor of a women's swimming championship, continuing his trend of attacking businesses and organizations for their stances on LGBTQ+ issues.

A parody video aimed at trans athletes has now been posted on the account @DeSantisWarRoom on Twitter, with a contentious voiceover:

"You couldn't cut it with the boys, so you pushed women off the podium. Without you, sports would be fair. Without you, sports would be for... well, women."

The parody video infuriated Alana McLaughlin, who lambasted the governor of Florida on Twitter:

"Get fu**ed Ron. I competed under your administration fully licensed under the Florida State Athletic Commission."

Check out the tweet below:

The issue of transgender athletes competing alongside cisgender athletes has been the object of growing scrutiny and discourse. The topic has divided people and provoked fierce debate on both sides.

Some claim that allowing transgender athletes to compete alongside cisgender competitors is unfair. Higher levels of testosterone, which can lead to enhanced muscle mass, strength, and endurance, are among the advantages they claim transgender athletes enjoy that cisgender athletes do not. They worry that this will offer transgender athletes an advantage over their cisgender counterparts.

Transgender sports activists, on the other hand, say that everyone should have equal access to athletic opportunities. Transgender athletes, they say, have a right to full participation in sports and should not be discriminated against because of their gender expression.

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Trans MMA fighter Alana McLaughlin criticized the Montana Freedom Caucus for demanding Rep. Zooey Zephyr's immediate censure

The Montana Freedom Caucus recently demanded that Representative Zoey Zephyr of Missoula's House District 100 be censured by the House for attempting to shame the Montana legislative body and for using inappropriate and uncalled-for language during a floor debate regarding amendments to Senate Bill 99 to prohibit sex changes of minor children.

As a representative for Montana's 100th district, Zooey Zephyr made history in 2022 when she became the state's first openly transgender person to be elected to the Montana House of Representatives.

In response to the Montana Freedom Caucus' call for Rep. Zooey Zephyr's immediate censure, trans MMA fighter Alana McLaughlin tweeted:

"Every trans woman has more courage, honor, and integrity than any member of your caucus ever will."

Check out the tweet below: