Gay UFC Fighter Reacts To Sean Strickland’s Anti-LGBTQ Comments

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There’s more fallout coming out from Sean Strickland’s controversial comments from last week.

During his UFC 297 media day press conference, Strickland went on an anti-LGBTQ that offended many.

“Here’s the thing about Bud Light,” Strickland said. “Ten years ago, to be trans was a mental f—-ng illness; and now, all of sudden, people like you have f—ing weaseled your way in the world. You are an infection. You are the definition of weakness. Everything that is wrong with the world is because of f—ing you.

“And the best thing is the world’s not buying it. The world’s not buying your f—ing b—hit you’re f—ng peddling. The world is not saying, ‘You know what? You’re right. F—ng chicks have d—s.’ The world’s not saying that. The world’s saying, ‘No, there are two genders.’ I don’t want my kids being taught about who they could f— in school. I don’t want my kids being taught about their sexual preference.”

Openly gay UFC fighter Raquel Pennington, who won the UFC women’s bantamweight championship on Saturday, was asked about Strickland’s comments, and this is how she responded.

“For people like that it hurts my heart to pass so much judgment, at the end of the day the things he says doesn’t impact my life and it’s never going to impact my life, it’s not going to change what I’m doing or how happy I am…but things that are said like that and the judgment’s that is passed it really impacts people and stuff like that is not okay.”

Pennington was also asked about the UFC’s freedom of speech policy that allows people like Strickland to make anti-LGBT comments at press conferences.

“I mean they’re about freedom of speech, and that’s fine; everybody is allowed that, and you’re allowed your own opinion, and you’re allowed to feel that you want to feel, I just feel like that’s the reason the world is the way that it is, so many people are allowed to make comments about other people’s lives or the way that they live or gender or race and it stems from there.

And I can learn so much from you and you can learn so much from me if you’re just willing to sit there and listen and learn.”