![]() ![]() Rosser - who now works for New Japan Pro Wrestling - helped to change the industry through his openness.Ī leading wrestler's sexuality was being acknowledged on-air as both an acceptable and, more importantly, incidental part of his life.Īnd in the years that followed, more performers have felt comfortable being their authentic selves. 'There are lots of us becoming the standard bearers' Sonya Deville (left) is the first out female wrestler in WWE Villainous performers knew that portraying a feminine persona with stereotypically 'gay' characteristics was a surefire way of drawing boos.Īnd it wasn't uncommon to hear good guys using homophobic slurs to get cheers while talking their opponent down. There had been other LGBTQ+ wrestlers before him, including Pat Patterson - the legendary Canadian grappler widely respected as one of the industry's greatest minds.īut more often than not, the LGBTQ+ community was treated as a punchline by promoters and wrestlers alike. The decision by Rosser, who fought as Darren Young throughout his WWE career, to speak publicly about his sexuality made headlines in 2013. "He was very kind - not only him, but others as well." "He called me, and we talked for almost 20 minutes about how he respected my decision," Rosser recalls.
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