Every day, the LGBTQ community becomes stronger, and WWE superstars are no different. We want to congratulate and respect all of our LGBT friends. June, the month of pride, has here. When it comes to valuing one’s individuality, the world has come a long way in the last several decades.
This is the twenty-first century, and you have the right to live your life whatever you want, unless it is illegal—more power to our LGBTQ friends and all those who are questioning their sexual orientation.
Let’s move on to the current WWE performers who are proud to be LGBTQ. World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), the world’s largest wrestling corporation, has always welcomed people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. LGBTQ wrestlers are making use of the WWE platform to have a positive impact on their millions of fans.
In the WWE, many LGBTQ wrestlers have shone. Today, we’ll look at five current WWE stars who are happy to be LGBTQ.
5 WWE Superstars Who Are Proud to Be LGBTQ
We began by providing a brief history of the wrestlers’ careers. We then went over all of the available information about how they came out and how they live their socio-personal and professional lives.
5. Tegan Nox
Steffanie Rhiannon Newell, better known as Tegan Nox, is a Welsh professional wrestler. In April 2017, she inked a contract with WWE. Similarly, Nox competed for the British independent circuits before joining WWE.
Newell is currently out until June 2021 due to an ACL injury. However, this does not diminish her ability as a wrestler. Tegan Nox’s step-up knee strike shines brightly inside the ring.
Winning is not the only determinant of a wrestler’s ability. Tegan Nox may not always win the battle, but her furious feudal styles are a joy to witness. Now, back to the main point: Tegan Nox is bisexual. She announced herself to the world in July 2020 via an Instagram post.
There, she shared a photo with her stunning girlfriend, Sierra St. Pierre. Before this, Nox had a brief connection with New Zealand-based wrestler Travis Banks.
This is what she has to say about her decision to come out:
“My life has always been a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ situation, but I feel like the moment was appropriate, especially when you’ve discovered the right one you’re in love with.”
It was the appropriate time to do so.”
Along with her confession, Nox discussed the media reaction and support she received.
“The response has been fantastic.
There are undoubtedly some who disagree, but 99 percent of the responses have been positive.”
Tegan elaborated, saying,
“I’m getting texts from so many coworkers and friends.”
It was pleasant.
It’s wonderful to see how many lovely people there are in the world.”
Furthermore, Tegan Nox revealed that her fellow LGBTQ wrestler Sonya Deville assisted her in making the choice public. So, let us now go into Deville’s life.
4. Sonya Deville
Daria Rae Berenato, better known by her ring name Sonya Deville, is an American wrestler and MMA fighter. She has been a part of the WWE since 2015. Berenato is currently seen on both the SmackDown and Raw brands.
She serves as Adam Pearce’s on-screen assistant on SmackDown. Sonya Deville rose to prominence with WWE Tough Enough before moving on to a variety of other projects. In 2020, she was ranked 52nd among the top 100 female wrestlers by Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI).
She also appears in WWE video games, making her debut in WWE 2K19 and returning in WWE 2K20 and WWE 2K Battlegrounds. Sonya Deville is a lesbian in addition to her WWE glitz. She is the first female WWE wrestler to come out as a member of the LGBTQ community. She openly declares herself to be one.
In 2015, she appeared in an episode of WWE’s reality competition series Tough Enough. She has since been inspiring, supporting, and assisting fellow LGBTQ wrestlers in coming out.
Deville’s rainbow-colored attire during WrestleMania 34 in 2018 was well praised and admired. She was also a member of WWE Total Divas, which portrayed a positive image of same-sex couples.
In an interview with The New York Post, Deville discussed her feelings about being WWE’s unofficial ambassador for LGBTQ people:
“It’s incredibly exciting and fulfilling for me because I was on the opposite side of the coin five, six years ago, looking up to individuals on television, finding comfort in having allies who represented me in media, TV, cinema, and entertainment.”
It’s really relatable for me to be that for the future generation and for the youth who may not be happy with who they are.”
Deville hopes that WWE will offer the LGBTQ community more exposure. She anticipates seeing themes including same-sex partnerships in the coming years.
3. Jake Atlas
Kenny Marquez is a professional wrestler better known by his ring name Jake Atlas. The American was once a gymnast. He has been a part of the WWE since 2017. He now appears on NXT and 205 Live.
Before joining WWE, he was a popular wrestler in independent circuits such as Gold Rush Pro Wrestling, Empire Wrestling Federation, All Pro Wrestling (APW), Baja Star’s USA, and others.
He has held the APW Heavyweight Championship, the APW Universal Heavyweight Championship, the PCW ULTRA Light Heavyweight Championship, and the SBW Championship once.
On an episode of Celebrity Undercover Boss with Stephanie McMahon, WWE’s Chief Brand Manager, he first appeared near WWE unsigned.
“I know what I’m doing is terrible, but I’m gay.”
Jake Atlas is openly and proudly gay. On the same episode of Celebrity Undercover Boss, he discussed it with McMahon. He is the first homosexual male in sports to open up about his sexuality. He also mentioned how he had been intending to say that for about ten years.
He recalls wondering if being gay and being a wrestler, or even a family member, were compatible. Kenny Marquez came out for the first time at the age of 15 in front of his mother. He was aware that he was gay, not bisexual.
As a result, he used the word gay immediately. He recalls crying at the time and saying, ‘I know it’s bad, but I’m gay.’ Homosexuals are not considered normal in most communities. Instead, they impose heterosexuality, and Marquez, who grew up in the same household, saw homosexuality as a sin.
Furthermore, his mother’s reaction was not favorable. On the contrary, she sobbed in disappointment and related his homosexuality to religion. Marquez first made his presence known on Twitter, where he received a mixed reaction.
He is now teaching his mother about sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as the art of acceptance. He gets along well with Sonya Deville, another LGBTW wrestler. As a result, they have been able to comprehend each other and build their friendship.
Marquez characterizes their relationship as “I have your back, and you have mine.”
2. Mercedes Martinez
Jazmin Benitez, better known by her ring name Mercedes Martinez, is an American professional wrestler. She is presently affiliated with the WWE and competes for the NXT brand.
She competed for Full Impact Pro (FIP), World Xtreme Wrestling (WXW), Women Superstars Uncensored (WSU), and Rise Wrestling, among others. Benitez has won several of these promotions.
She won the WSU Championship three times, the Shimmer Championship twice, and the Shimmer Tag Team Championship once. Her WWE career began in July 2017 with the Mae Young Classic event.
Benitez then left WWE for a short time before returning in January 2020. She signed a contract with WWE this time and was reported to the Performance Center.
I’m a Proud Lesbian
In a July 2019 interview with Now This, Mercedes Martinez revealed that she is a lesbian. She is openly gay, but she is married to American film director Chris Weitz and has a son.
This may sound intimidating to some of us, but it is perfectly normal. People can realize their true selves much later in life, as Benitez discovered. More power to Mercedes for moving past the questioning phase and realizing herself.
1. Shayna Baszler
Shayna Andrea Baszler, an American professional wrestler, is presently signed to WWE. Shayna is a Raw brand performer. She was also an MMA fighter in the past.
Baszler began her pro wrestling career by competing on several independent circuits. In July 2017, she became involved with the WWE with the Mae Young Classic.
She defeated another LGBTQ WWE wrestler, Mercedes Martinez, on her way to the finals of her very first WWE feud. Baszler made her NXT debut in August 2017 during a home event. In December of that year, she made her television debut.
In January 2021, she and Nia Jax became the record-tying two-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. However, the belts were eventually won by Natalya and Tamina Snuka.
MMA Female
Baszler is also an MMA fighter who trains with former UFC fighter Josh Barnett. She was released from the UFC, though, because she preferred wrestling.
Shayna Baszler is also bisexual. In a 2013 podcast, she disclosed that she had previously been in relationships with both guys and girls.
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