Professional wrestling gay
WWE has officially signed its first out LGBTQ wrestler under the newly launched WWE ID recruitment initiative. Independent wrestler Aaron Rourke, known by his dial name Evil Gay, was announced as the latest signee during a unique edition of Wrestling Unseal on IWTV, the independent pro wrestling streaming service. The signing marks a historic moment not only for Rourke but for WWE's commitment to diversity and inclusion in professional wrestling.
“I’ve been dreaming of this moment since I was a kid, and I have to praise everyone who has gotten me here. To my doubters and the people who said this couldn’t be possible, thank you because your criticisms and your judgments made me the workhorse I am today. For anyone who has been told that their dreams are too big, let me be the example that you absolutely can," Rourke said in an emotional declaration after receiving the contract.
A Rising Star in LGBTQ Wrestling
Aaron Rourke’s journey to WWE has been anything but easy, but his success in the independent wrestling circuit proves his dedication and resilience. The New England-based wrestler has become a familiar label in multiple promotions
13 WWE Wrestlers Who Identify As LGBTQ+
For decades, homosexuality was an uncomfortable subject in the WWE. For example, Dustin Rhodes' Goldust persona pretended to be gay, using homosexuality as a means to draw heat, while Chris Kanyon, who was legitimately gay, hid his sexuality to stop it from causing him any professional turmoil.
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26 Wrestlers Who Are Gay
More wrestlers than ever before are coming out as part of the LGBTQ+ community, with these major names being great examples in and out of the ring.
Today, most fans agree to that talent comes in all shapes, sizes, colors, and sexualities. Wrestling fans have become much more accepting of the LGBTQ group. This has, in turn, resulted in more LGBTQ advocacy in wrestling today than ever before. Here are 13 WWE wrestlers, past or present, who identify as LGBTQ.
UPDATE: 2025/05/01 20:00 EST BY BENJAMIN VIEIRA
The Queer community has advance a long way in professional wrestling. In the past, the community was not given much respect when it came to the storylines that they were represented in. However, in 2025, things have thankfully changed for the better. Many wre
Last week, Anthony Bowens — a gay Black wrestler with All Elite Wrestling and one of the first openly gay wrestlers to hold a major championship belt — stood in the center of the ring while thousands of fans chanted, “He’s gay.”
While that sounds fond of a traumatic exposure, it was actually a heartwarming event that represents a sea change in how gay performers are treated in the traditionally homophobic sport of pro wrestling. AEW has championed the LGBTQ community from its inception and the segment, which aired on AEW Rampage, was part of a storyline between Bowens’ tag team, The Acclaimed, and QTV, a rival group. QTV member Harley Cameron, a woman, approached Bowens about creating a “power couple,” to which Bowens replied, “Lady, I’m gay.”
As soon as he said it, the crowd erupted in cheers. The “He’s gay” chant was celebratory and and Bowens’ tag team partner and manager jumped for happiness. While he’d approach out years ago, Bowens’ in-ring pronouncement during a scripted segment, as a natural part of a storyline —coupled with the crowd’s embrace — would have been unimaginable even a scant years ago.
Queerness in wrestling has often been treated as a tra
Professional Gay Wrestling
While searching Amazon Prime recently, I was pleasantly surprised to find, of all things, episodes of Memphis wrestling in the video library. But there was even more content ready for any connoisseur of both great wrestling and bad wrestling: a collection of death matches between Cactus Jack and Terry Funk, some truly awful-looking wrestling movies I’d never heard of, and something called, Professional Lgbtq+ Wrestling.
My first question was, “Is this Safe for Work?”
But my second question was “Why same-sex attracted professional wrestling?” (Or “professional lgbtq+ wrestling”, as it’s called, which led me back to my first question).
I mean, if homosexual men want to watch guys with great bodies and discovering outfits grapple with each other, there are a number of other wrestling promotions out there – specifically, all of them.
Let’s face it – wrestling is a very gay sport, and has been since the days of the ancient Greeks. Those guys used to wrestle naked, which is just about the gayest thing two men can do short of having sex with each other.
Which they also did.
Actually watching PGW raised even more questions.
First of all, announcer Bruc