American-born boxer Rob Newbiggin did not have his gender classified at birth. As a person with male genetalia, Rob had high levels of estrogen. He was abandoned by his parents and later adopted by a Canadian couple who then moved to England. He learned to box, got married, had kids, and now is sharing his story with the world, and the world has been less than receptive in general:
“My friends don’t want to know me. I’ve got people winding their windows down shouting abuse at me while I go for my run – that’s why we are having to relocate. I have to think about my kids,” the boxer said.
“When it comes to my kids, it doesn’t matter whether I’m a mother or a father as long as I’m a good parent,” he said. “And I think I’ll be a better parent as a woman. I haven’t provided enough financial stability in my male life for my children.” via.
Newbiggin will be reincarnated as “Mercedes” and apply for a boxing license as a female. I would love to be supportive of someone who’s doing his best to find her true self and live as healthy a life as possible. But the fact that this person lived for over 40 years as a man, got married, had kids, and is now hitting the eject button on that life…it just bothers me. Even though Rob has his family’s support, nnobody knows how this is going to impact their lives, including them. And if I was his wife, I’d be totally annoyed, because she can kiss about half of her closet space goodbye now. And another thing, how many pairs of black shoes does one couple need, anyway? img inspiration.
Camel Clutch Blog brings us the MMA debut of former Playboy “model” LaTasha Marzolla, dreads and all. But she’s not just another pretty face; she fought as a kickboxer and briefly trained in WWE, which isn’t quite the picnic that it sounds like. Oh, and she trains with Gina Carano. Hey, LaTasha, after you finish trading haymakers with Christy Tada, will you ask Gina why she’s not returning my calls?
This is Lynn Tucker of Charleston, West Virginia. Even though Lynn is only 30, she’s already had seven kids. But now, as Lynn says, “The factory’s closed,” and she can enjoy a natural segue into other womanly pursuits. Such as, oh, I don’t know, beating the crap out of other women. From the Charleston Daily Mail:
Tucker…has signed up as a boxer in the Rough N’ Rowdy Brawl this weekend at the Charleston Civic Center.
“I’ve always wanted to do this, but I’ve been pregnant my entire adult life,” said Tucker, a 30-year-old Charleston resident. “I got married when I was 18, and I’ve been pregnant ever since.”
So when Friday rolls around, she’s planning to lace on her gloves, climb into the ring and hope for the best.
Participation by women in the annual, popular Rough N’ Rowdy is on the rise, said Chris Smith, the promoter. This year, a record 25 women are participating in the boxing contest. They’re divided among lightweight and heavyweight, with the winners of each taking home about $1,000.
Leave it to West Virginia to develop innovative ways of objectifying women. I guess the wet t-shirt contest was canceled due to inclement weather. Or maybe they just can’t spare the water. They live up in them mountains, see. They make their own fun.
