{"id":19149,"date":"2018-05-23T12:25:53","date_gmt":"2018-05-23T16:25:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonprowrestling.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=19149"},"modified":"2018-05-23T12:25:53","modified_gmt":"2018-05-23T16:25:53","slug":"lgbt-wrestling-in-2018-a-glimpse-into-a-better-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2018\/05\/23\/lgbt-wrestling-in-2018-a-glimpse-into-a-better-future\/","title":{"rendered":"LGBT Wrestling in 2018 – A Glimpse into a Better Future"},"content":{"rendered":"

LGBT people have been neglected in the wrestling world for a long-time, but since the Golden Lovers<\/strong> (Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi<\/strong>) reunited in NJPW<\/strong> and Finn Bal\u00f3r<\/strong> made his Wrestlemania<\/strong> entrance with a “B\u00e1lor Club is for Everyone” theme, there is more space than ever to make “Wrestling is for Everybody” more than just a statement. This article will not be going into detail on the not so bright history of presenting LGBT in WWE<\/strong> (Mickie James<\/strong>\/Trish Stratus, Goldust<\/strong>), but rather focus on the 21st-century approach by modern wrestlers like the Golden Lovers, Jack Sexsmith, Mike Parrow, Charlie Morgan\u00a0<\/strong>etc.<\/p>\n

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Supporting the inclusiveness in the Indy-scene is “PROUD<\/strong><\/a> Apparel” by Jack Sexsmith, The Pansexual PROGRESS<\/strong> regular is campaigning for openness and inclusiveness. The UK promotion PROGRESS is very supportive of this project and therefore takes a leader role, which makes them a very open-minded comany. They are also invested in other LGBT talents, but we are getting to other talent later.<\/p>\n

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Photo: Stonewall<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As a part of supporting Stonewall.uk<\/strong> with his PROUD company, a fixed percentage of his sales is going to Stonewall, you can easily research the numbers that show how necessary it still is to build inclusiveness. Stonewall runs the “Rainbow Laces campaign<\/a>\u201c where you can lace your shoes with rainbow colored shoestrings to show your support and to show that sport is for everyone and no one should fear discrimination or be anxious about themselves. Sport and Wrestling bring people together. No matter which gender or romantic orientation you have you are a fan, performer, player, competitor and that is the important part of you.<\/p>\n

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Photo: NJPW<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi of NJPW as the Golden Lovers<\/a> are a prime example of displaying a wonderful storyline of friendship and love between two outstanding wrestlers. They reunited as a team at the beginning of 2018 after nearly three and a half years and immediately became favorites of the LGBT Community. \u201cLet people think what they want to think,\u201d Omega told Yahoo Sports<\/a> back in March. \u201cIf LGBT people can identify with our story, if they think \u2018the Golden Lovers are my team,\u2019 I\u2019m good with that. It\u2019s the story of two wrestlers who shared dreams on their way up, who became fast friends, who are now reuniting at the top of their game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gay and Bi men are 4-times less likely to take part in team sports. If you think about that, nobody should be scared to take part in something that is made to socialize. Especially wrestling, a sport designed to entertain everybody, without building storylines on the back of minorities, like WWE did in the past and still does for the sake of money.<\/p>\n

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Photo: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

WWE recently held a big event in Saudi Arabia The Greatest Royal Rumble<\/strong><\/em>. An event, where Women were not allowed to wrestle and only allowed in the crowd with a male escort, Finn B\u00e1lor did not come out in his LGBT supportive gear and Sami Zayn could not perform because he is of Syrian descent. After WWE aired a promo package with female wrestlers the Saudi General Sports Commission issued an apology for “indecent material” because it contained Women. Homosexuality is illegal in Saudi Arabia<\/a> and can be punished by death.<\/p>\n

Authors opinion: For me, WWE is putting money over equality. By doing that event\u00a0they supported a regime that oppresses human rights and is stuck in the Middle Ages. If you are a government in 2018 and you threaten people with the death penalty because of who they are, you have not arrived in the 21st century in any way. It is simply unimaginable and outright brainless to persecute people that\u00a0haven’t\u00a0done anything to hurt\u00a0anyone, robbed anyone or done anything negative. People that are brave enough to recognize themselves and be the way that they are born should be protected from countries like Saudi Arabia. WWE signed a deal over multiple years.<\/em><\/p>\n

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The stage has been set. Sunday June 10th #AMATTEROFPRIDEvol3<\/a> Providence, Rhode Island! FREE SHOW !!! Come see pro wrestling's lbgtq community duke it out. @FestWrestling<\/a> & @NYWCWRESTLING<\/a> titles will be on the line, & a special appearance by @RealMelina<\/a> !#RAW<\/a> #WWE<\/a> #Indy500<\/a> #dwts<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/56Ra1SjGO6<\/a><\/p>\n

— A Matter Of Pride Wrestling \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@LGBTQwrestling) May 22, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n