LGBTQ+ Pro Wrestlers Speak Out About Their Journeys & Inclusiveness in the Sport
It was almost 10 years ago when Darren Young (Fred Rosser) came out publicly as the first openly gay pro wrestler signed to WWE. In 2015, Sonya Deville (Daria Berenato) followed suit while on WWE’s reality competition series Tough Enough. There has been a trickledown effect since then with more performers across the industry feeling comfortable publicly living their truths.
Among them in today’s era are All Elite Wrestling’s Anthony Bowens, Impact Wrestling’s Gisele Shaw (Gisele Mayordo), and the National Wrestling Alliance’s Pollo Del Mar (Paul E. Pratt). These three have blazed a trail all their own and are proud representations of how far the business has gone. While each admits there is still much work to be done, they believe we are most definitely headed in the right direction. Here these Pride ring warriors open up about their respective journeys.
Anthony Bowens
AEW
Listen! Anthony Bowens is still processing his tag team title win with his partner in The Acclaimed, Max Caster, last September. The victory on the Grand Slam episode of Dynamite made him the first openly gay AEW champion.
“It was probably the biggest moment of my career and one of the most special to me for a multitude of reasons,” he said. “Being AEW’s first gay champion and the representation for those who were able to watch it and hopefully relate to my experience and journey. I cut a promo after basically saying it doesn’t matter who you are.
“If you have a goal in life and people are telling you no and you have all these obstacles, that you can do it and break through that proverbial glass ceiling. It was a special moment for me personally and the friends and family who were in attendance. A night I’ll never forget.”
The 32-year-old broke into wrestling about a decade ago. There was a point he felt there would be no light at the end of the tunnel where he could come out comfortably and be himself around people.
“It was just different,” Bowens recalled. “Locker room talk was most definitely a thing in terms of the verbiage used. There weren’t that many out LGBTQ wrestlers other than Fred back then who were thriving and were successful. As time has gone on, there is an infinite amount. We have a very diverse roster here at AEW with me, Nyla Rose, Sonny Kiss, Diamante, and Leyla Hirsch. The list goes on. On the independents, we’re having independent shows that are featuring only LGBTQ talent. There is a plethora of opportunities and a lot more open minds with inclusiveness in professional wrestling. It has come a long way and is cool to see.”
The baseball standout’s trek to the ring came watching a commercial promoting “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan versus Sting at World Championship Wrestling’s Starrcade in 1997. Today he and Sting are co-workers with Bowens a part of The Acclaimed. One of the most popular acts in AEW. On the surface, their “Scissor Me” hand gesture may have some innuendo attached. But for Bowens, it means more.
“It’s a handshake. It’s a sign of friendship and it’s fun because everyone can do it with each other,” he said. “I think ‘National Scissoring Day’ was the biggest example where everyone in Washington D.C. had this little rally during the promo. We wanted to unite people because there is so much division going on in the country and politics. We want to bring people together and put smiles on faces. It’s cool to see people from all walks of life, genders, races, sexualities. Everyone wants to have fun. The energy people bring to it is crazy. I can’t wait to get to work and hear The Acclaimed sirens and do our thing.
Bowens is also grateful to be in a long-term loving relationship with his partner Michael Pavano. The two went viral with their photo kissing in front of a crowd of anti-gay protesters. Their YouTube videos and social media receive largely positive comments. However, Bowens will see his share of hateful, largely ignoring them.
“Michael and I recently celebrated our seven-year anniversary. I met him in May 2016. We dated secretly outside of my friends and family knowing for six months,” he said. “I felt bad, but I wasn’t ready to come out at the time. I promised him it wouldn’t be forever. I just needed the time to be ready. He supported me through that. We’ve supported each other through all these years. He is my best friend. I can’t picture life without him. I”m lucky to have him and a very supportive family and best friends.”
Bowens ended up coming out through an Outsports website article he wrote. Today Bowens hopes to continue inspiring others to chase their dreams and stand as a role model.
“I got an Instagram message the other day from a wrestler who stopped wrestling because he felt there wouldn’t be a path for him,” Bowens said. “I wasn’t sure if he was out or not, but he told me he saw my success and got back into wrestling. Comments like that make me feel so happy that I made the decision to come out. It was a justifying thing. I’m hoping I’ve been able to inspire people across the world to do it because I was put on this Earth to help people and entertain and put smiles on people’s faces. That’s what I want to do for the rest of my life.”
AEW is currently selling a Pride shirt with 20% of profits going to the nonprofit JASMYN, which aims to support the empowerment of LGBTQIA+ teens and young adults.
Gisele Shaw
Impact Wrestling
When Gisele Shaw disclosed she was transgender during 2022 Pride Toronto, Impact Wrestling’s “Quintessential Diva” was admittedly nervous. The 34-year-old didn’t want to be labeled but judged solely based on abilities and skill in the ring. Despite the initial apprehension, she decided to move forward.
“I thought it was a good time to tell my story so that I can inspire and educate and put the spotlight on what is really important in the community,” Shaw said. “That transgender people, people in the LGBTQ+ community are targets of violence and discrimination. I think so much has happened in a year that I feel like I’m living authentically, happy, and being myself. I have found my own voice where I am able to stand up for not only myself but for other people as well going through the exact same thing I am.”
The Filipino has not been one to shy away from the spotlight and using her newfound platform afforded to her by Impact Wrestling. By the same token, the company emerged as a beacon for diversity and inclusion across its roster. It released a Pride Month shirt with a portion of all sales to be donated to the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA). Shaw threw out the first pitch and served as the guest speaker during the opening ceremony of the 2022 Gay Softball World Series in Dallas. Impact recently hosted its first-ever Pride photoshoot.
“I’ve been super fortunate that I told my story here at Impact Wrestling because the company has been so welcoming and supportive,” Shaw said. “At Impact it’s just a normal thing for the women to main event. We are all given equal opportunity. That is really amazing. It was really scary for me at first to disclose my story because I didn’t know how my peers were going to take it and react. I’m just really thankful that I have such a great support system from my friends, and family but also at work.”
Shaw, who is often accompanied onscreen by Impact’s first openly gay wrestler Jay Vidal, looks at how far the business has come. She recalled being inspired by the likes of Trish Stratus and Gail Kim, a trailblazer who now works as a producer at Impact.
“When I first started wrestling it was still close-minded where the women for example were seen as eye candy doing bra and panties matches,” Shaw recalled. “They weren’t given matches in general like the men were given. The exact same mentality with LGBTQ+ wrestlers. They never really talked about it compared to now where there is so many people that disclose their stories and are proud of who they are. I’m just really happy with the progress we accomplished but there is so much work to be done…Wrestlers should be fully judged by their skills and effort they put in and their performance. You don’t go to a play and say that’s the trans, gay, lesbian person. You appreciate the play itself because of the performance. That’s where we’re heading. I want it to come down to a time where we don’t have to have a discussion of what’s what and who’s who.”
Shaw aims to lead by example and be that source of inspiration for those watching to chase their dreams no matter their gender or sexuality. Social media can often be a dark place, but she believes the positive has outweighed the bad. However, the star believes specifically with the LGBTQ+ community, negativity often comes from a lack of understanding.
“I’m here to educate people and inspire and really shine a spotlight on what is really important. That we are often a target for violence,” she said. “I wake up along with other people in the community thinking, ‘If people don’t agree with how we are, are we going to get beat up today? Are we going to get killed today? What drives me to keep pushing forward and help that next generation…We’re all human, and I feel like as humans it’s our responsibility to take care of one another. Make sure we leave a great environment and world for the next generation because we are all on limited time in this world. That’s what we need to really understand.”
Pollo Del Mar
NWA/Hiban Huerta
Pollo Del Mar often walks to the ring like it’s a runway on RuPaul’s Drag Race. The drag queen’s grand entrance and unique fashion ensembles have turned heads in rock star Billy Corgan’s NWA promotion. It’s unabashed confidence that has made the manager’s personality shine through.
“For me, this is an instance of holding on to my dreams that I thought the world would not allow me to have. That is until the world changed enough to make that possible for those dreams to be true,” Del Mar said.
She got involved in wrestling during her freshman year of college in Ohio but was not fulfilled. Del Mar also felt uncomfortable in her skin, unable to face her sexuality. That all came with experience.
“I was comfortable enough in my abilities and skills to take a seat at the table and say, ‘Whatever you might think of me aside. This is what I bring to the conversation,’” she continued. ‘“This is what I’m offering. This is what I know I’m good at. Also, there are these unique qualities about myself. That my identity outside the world of wrestling can present. Ideally, you can accept all of the above.’”
It was having a voice through writing that further took her into the spotlight. Conducting celebrity interviews through the Huffington Post led to Del Mar’s putting her own story out there. Today she blogs, hosts podcasts, and even helped cultivate an NWA digital magazine. Up until recently, Del Mar was linked up onscreen with “Thrillbilly” Silas Mason, which presented a unique dynamic.
“What Silas and I had together in terms of our chemistry was unique in the world of professional wrestling and genuine. In part, it’s because of the perception of him as representative of pretty much everything one side of the political spectrum clings to in a lot of ways. I’m fairly representative of everything the opposite side of the spectrum clings to,” she explained.
“For me, it was a great representation that we were brought together and stayed together and made stronger by our shared passion and love and values and commitments and what we were trying to accomplish together. I think that is a big-picture idea people should get through their heads. Are we far more alike than different?”
Whatever is next for the “Manager of Champions,” she wants to continue to set a positive example in the NWA. Del Mar takes pride in being part of the tight-knit roster.
“There is something to be said for those who are openly embracing what would not have been expected or anticipated in the world of pro wrestling,” Del Mar said. So now other people who may be secretive or questioning if they should be in that environment know you are as welcome here as anyone else.
“It is important that we are bringing tons and tons of LGBTQ+ people into the professional wrestling space. We see instances in wrestler Effy’s Big Gay Brunch. But more important is recognizing that pro wrestling attracts people from all walks of life. So, it’s about making everyone feel safe, especially those who may otherwise be marginalized.”
