And historically, because of that, wrestling became a space where LGBT characters were there to be reviled. It seems in wrestling, with its close physical contact between the same sexes, there is the "inherently" gay.
Most of the time, pro wrestling has turned and used that culture to denigrate the very people from whom it took.
This isn’t to say it always lauded the things they borrowed or those they borrowed it from. Sonny Kiss recently after he signed to AEW. What’s less discussed is that sports entertainment has historically borrowed significant pieces of gay culture from the very beginning. Wrestling’s Gay Historyįrom its first steps out of sports and into entertainment, the squared circle has pulled from a multitude of theatre traditions, from soap opera to vaudeville. The tough team of Ron Dupree and Chris Colt – a tag team in the ring, and real-life partners outside of it.
However, in moving forward, one must recognize the (often not so glorious) past as wrestling, and the world moves to its future. Others may cite the emergence of groups like Matter Of Pride Wrestling and the rash of signings of LBGTQ performers to the AEW flagship.Īll of these examples point to the idea that the treatment of gay workers and storylines is improving. Some might point to openly gay superstars whose sexuality isn’t part of their gimmick like Sonya Deville.
From the Balor Club being for everyone to Drag Queens hosting WrestleMania events, there’s the sense that there is a gay renaissance going on in wrestling today.