Wrestling has become a lot more inclusive than it used to be, more and more wrestlers are queer and proud, it’s such an amazing thing to see. There was a time when LGBTQ wrestlers probably wouldn’t have been able to be this out and proud back in the ’90s but the world is a lot more accepting nowadays. It’s refreshing to see so many wrestlers open with their sexuality, it’s deeply inspirational and beautiful.
The enormity of how much times have changed stands with AEW signing a transgender superstar – Nyla Rose to their brand. Five years ago, that probably wouldn’t have even happened and now she’s set to become a huge star faster than she expected. AEW has also signed Sonny Kiss, an openly gay wrestler who is a joy to watch in the ring, whether dancing or wrestling you can tell he’s having the time of his life and you can’t help but get sucked into the joy.
Nyla Rose (left) Sonny Kiss (right)
Sonya Deville is also a great representation of being proud and LGBTQ. Her public coming out on WWE’s Tough Enough was a big moment for her, as she started in an interview with WWE that until that time she wasn’t living her “fullest life” her coming out was big for WWE too as they’re lacking in major LGBTQ representation. They did, a few years ago, have Darren Young come out as gay but his coming out wasn’t as big as Deville’s, they never really did anything to celebrate this although, he did have a positive reaction backstage.
Sonya Deville and Darren Young
The wrestling world is filled with people who identify as LGBTQ, one such wrestler is Kenny Omega. Kenny has never shouted about his sexuality from the rooftops but is quietly proud of his bisexuality. Kenny has never really spoken about his relationships in great detail, but he did date fellow Golden☆Lovers, member Kota Ibushi for a while and their relationship rekindled when Ibushi and Omega reunited.
Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi
A Matter of Pride wrestling provides a queer promotion for queer wrestlers and fans alike. Fans get the representation they so rightly deserve, run by The Boy Diva – Rick Cataldo, the company allows wrestlers to incorporate their sexuality with their in-ring personas in a way they necessarily wouldn’t be able to in other promotions. Pro wrestlers such as Billy Dixon, CoCo Mousse, Effy, Jamie Senegal and Sonny Kiss have all happily wrestled for A Matter of Pride.
With how times are further continuing to change, maybe being LGBTQ in wrestling can be celebrated even more than it is now. WWE for starters need to have more inclusivity, while it’s great they have allies and Sonya Deville, a lot more stars are needed.
The Indie scene is jam-packed full of LGBTQ wrestlers. Jack Sexsmith of PROGRESS is proudly pansexual and has his own apparel company – PROUD Apparel. A percentage of the sales go towards http://stonewall.co.uk. Jack works his sexuality into a fantastic character and it always gets a great response from other wrestlers and fans alike.
Jack Sexsmith
Charlie Morgan is also an important person to mention, she came out at a Pro Wrestling EVE event and it was a great moment for the LGBTQ company. Unfortunately, she had to retire at Wrestle Queendom 2 due to an injury being worse than she originally thought, but I’m sure she’ll still continue to be a champion for LGBTQ wrestling on the sidelines.
I will conclude this article by talking about Pat Patterson. Pat came out as gay during a time when the world was a lot less accepting of homosexuality. The early ’70s were less accepting than the world is now, several jokes were made on commentary but other than that, his sexuality was never mentioned. Pat was the first gay wrestler in WWE, and even though it was never mentioned, it was still a huge deal.
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