Ali Lopez on Boxing, Transitioning, and Going Viral

Creators Inc. Podcast

Ali Lopez, a 23-year-old viral content creator and transgender woman, shares her journey from a traditional Mexican upbringing in Arizona to becoming a social media sensation. She discusses her transition at age 18–19, t

Key takeaways

• Ali transitioned at 18–19, presenting as female in high school by changing clothes before/after school

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:00) What the fuck goes through your head when you see your comment section? Like, what do you do? Like, I genuinely don't give a shit. Is Jake Paul the best boxer in the world? No. No. Does he sell boxing better than anyone in the world? Absolutely. That I have a lot of respect for her. Where you fighting? Her name is Lasha Makka. Like, fighting the motherfuckers so you can financially dominate. They did some horrible ass fucking shit to me. Andy, I last 41 pounds. Congratulations. Yeah. What's your opinion on GLP once? I love it. My drive for, like, intimacy is, like, gone down, like, a lot. My name is Ali. I'm 23 years old and I'm a certified bad bitch. All right, Allie, well, thanks for coming. This is the Creators and Podcast and what this is all about, we interview the most viral content creators on the planet. And the goal is that people watching at home might learn something for their own content. That's what's in it for them. We make it all about them because in the end you want it to be all about you. Tell me what's been going on. I hear you got a fight coming up. I want to ask you, you know what I really want to know? you've been always so nice to me. You know, I know a very pleasant side of you. We shared the New York Fashion Week moment together and you've come to the house a lot. But I want to know like the evil side of you. I want to know like the real finessey side that like be like fighting the motherfuckers so you can financially dominate and like that nobody knows about. I want to know all that crazy stuff. All the messiness of it. Yeah. Like I want to I want to know like the offense that nobody knows that you're playing and in the world behind that. Also, I just want to, I want the audience to hear about where you come from, your upbringing, what high school was like for you and your journey, because I think that's obviously unique and important. Yeah, absolutely. So let's start there. You're raising a traditional Mexican household. You've got three brothers and a sister. That's right? How's your relationship with your siblings? They're great, honestly. Like, you know, it's because recently I did have to have a little bit of boundaries with them where I'm like, okay, I'm your older sibling, not your friend all the time. And I'm going to, you know, be a little hard on you. but I have a really good relationship with honestly all my siblings and we're very close. And I think honestly, that's why I haven't left Arizona and like with my parents as well. Do a good relationship with your family? Absolutely. Got it. It took a lot of time to get there. But we're in, I feel like we're all in a really good place right now. When did you formally transition? When I was 9, 18, 19 years old. Okay. So when you went to high school, you were? Yeah, I was like I was still somewhat female presenting. But what I was doing is I would leave. home and out, like two hours before school started, so that I could go to a Starbucks that was close by, and I could do my hair and makeup and then go to school. And then after school, I would go back to the Starbucks, wash it all off, put some water in my hair, make myself look male presenting back home. Because you didn't want to deal with your parents. Yeah, just because I was raised Catholic and Christian. So, like, I don't want to make it seem like my parents, like, hate a me at all because they definitely loved me. But when it came to the topic of trans and gay, it was like, oh, well, we would accept it. but the church or, like, they would just always have their opinions on it, you know? And it was something that, like, I respect my parents so much. And I, like, I hold my mom and my dad at such a high fetus. Especially my mom, at a while people, like, I would hate to disappoint her. So it was always, like, a sign of respect that I think it was when it came to female, being female presenting in front of them. Yeah, I'm a lot older than you. I'm 43 or 26, 27? 27. So I only say that because when I was in high school, people who were transgendered were few and far between back then. It's obviously something that is a lot more. There's much more accepted. It's acceptable now. And there's a community and pride and things like that. You know, people not having to harbor these feelings inside that you can live the way you want to live. High school wise were people accepting of you? You know, I wish I could answer that. Because high school was a horrible time. Yeah, I wish I could answer that question and have like a formal answer. But I've always been like this where in a sense where like I live in my bubble where like people's opinions, whether if I care or not, don't phase me. And I think that actually started before high school because I remember in middle school was when I was really bullied a lot. Like I, they did some horrible ass fucking shit to me. Like I think the worst thing. that I can think of was like, I had to I had gym class, obviously, and I needed to pass to go to high school. So I would work out with the girls, but I would have to go change with the boys. So I remember there was a, it was at the time in like 2012, 2013 when like the combat boots were like becoming a thing. I mean, my parents found me these like $350 fucking combat boots. And, um, what brand? I don't even remember, honestly. Okay. But I just remember them being really expensive. And at the time, like we, Like, we weren't, my parents didn't, like, rich, but, like, they lived a paycheck to paycheck lifestyle. And whatever was left over, like, they would spend it on us and stuff like that. So we would get, like, every once in a while, we would, like, my siblings and I would get, like, a luxury. And so, yeah, I remember I was changing out in gym class. And I put my boots and I put my sneakers on. And when I came back to change out, my boots were in the toilet and, like, vandalized. and like they just wrote like faggot and like all kinds of shit all over them and yeah. Yeah, middle school and high school was a hard time. Yeah. Kids are rough. Yeah, it was really bad. High school was a hard time for me. Mm-hmm. Yeah. High school, like I said, once I got to high school, I think because of the fact that I was like already so going through a lot between the age, between six to eighth grade, I think when I got to high school, I learned really quickly to live in my bubble. and that for me my bubble is comfortable. I don't really care necessarily to make friends or anything like that. Like I had a really good head on my shoulders at a really young age. Do you find people saying to you a lot like, Allie, how are you so mentally strong? Yes, actually. And it's crazy because I get that's the number one like, I guess, compliment that I do get is like, how do you deal with it? Like, what do you, like, what the fuck goes through your head when you see your comment section? Like, what do you do? Like, how do you come like? It's because I, and it's not, I don't, I hate to be like, oh, no, I don't care what anybody says, but that's really the reality of it. Like, I genuinely don't give a shit because I went through so much with my family and, you know, my personal family life. Like, I went through my, not just myself, but my family as well. We went through so much stuff growing up until I decided to move out when I was 18 years old that, like, the, I feel like I got my, my trials were then. And like I don't look at this as a trial. I look at this if anything is like, as much as I would let's see praise, you know, 90% of the, by 90% of the people watching me. I know that's not the reality. But at the end of the day, it's so rewarding me because guess what? I'm still being watched. Yeah. And I got to be honest. It's a beautiful, respectful, admirable thing. I'm glazing right now. Thank you. But that you live the life you want to live. Because I know so many people who are so affected and shaped by their comment section. And it's pretty, it's pathetic. I mean, it's a real thing. You know, we all care and we all get feedback from what other people say. Have you ever given someone advice that's come out of your mouth and you said, damn, that was some good advice in that sense? Like, what could you tell people out there that definitely feel like they're constricted by other people's opinions? I think for me, the best advice is I think the advice that I gave myself when I decided to transition was I'm not going to look back at the time that I have right now and regret the decisions I made based on other people's opinions. And that's what if it comes to social media, career, the way you choose to live. You know, I genuinely am a person who believes, like, as long as you're not hurting yourself or the people around you with malice or bad intention or just in a negative space, then do whatever the hell that makes you happy. Like you're not gonna, like, how sad would it be if I'm 40 years old and I'm like, you know what? Like, I spent my early 20s and my teen years, like, trying to mold my life into what other people wanted for me. That's not the way to live. You know, God only puts us here on earth one time, you know, and it's up to us to do what we can with it and to make the most out of it. And I think that's the best advice that I've given myself. And then I hope other people, even if it's by seeing my comment section or seeing what I post or anything like that. And sometimes my post can be a little bit trolly and like I definitely play into it. But I hope overall that's just a message that people take away from me. I admire that so much about you that you do play into it. I say it all the time. And you're doing a boxing match coming up. So I'll bring up Jake Paul. Is Jake Paul the best boxer in the world? No. No. Is he the best, does he sell boxing better than anyone in the world? Absolutely. Yeah. So leaning into it is great. And you aren't. You really are. And I know that for a fact because, yes, you're viral. You're unique looking. You're recognizable. Everybody knows you. You're great for the algorithmic engagement. But when we did New York Fashion Week, and I've been, and I've thrown probably a dozen fashion shows between Miami, Los Angeles, the desert of Coachella, New York, of course. When you came out in New York Fashion Week, that room, like, erupted because you like, like you owned that moment. Like that was your moment to walk the runway and the whole room went fucking Ben Manas. Can I just say I like almost like I want to cry every time I think about that because like every time I get asked like oh what's the peak thing in your career that you think you've ever done? I always say in your fashion league just because I come from a place where like stuff like that doesn't seem attainable do you know what I mean and when I just remember that feeling and I had brought my cousin with me you met her Jen like we had such a pinch me moment where it's like there's, it's almost like impossible still to even wrap my head around that I did that. And it's something like that genuinely like took balls. Not that, yeah. And you remember you asked me like four times, are you okay? Ellie, are you okay? And I'm like, I had an anxiety, but it wasn't an anxiety of like where I was like sad or coming from place to negativity. It was like there was just no way that that happened, and you gave me the chance in a way where it's like, you were able to give me that opportunity because never in a million years, Andy, did I ever think I would be able to walk New York Fashion Week, let alone even, just to even be there. And then to be able to walk in it and participate in a show that is still so successful. We’re returning this year. Yes. We've been nominated for an award by New