June is Pride month and all month long people and companies have celebrated the LGBTQ+ community.
AEW has been active in the LGBTQ+ community with stars like Nyla Rose, Anthony Bowens, Sonny Kiss and more making various media appearances, pride rally appearances, and general comments through social and digital channels.
"Doc" Chris Mueller of Bleacher Report talked to AEW LGBTQ+ stars and got their thoughts on Pride Month and what it means to be an LGBTQ+ athlete.
"Pride is about being yourself, being your authentic self, and not being afraid to be that person. I saw something on Twitter recently that said there are still some people in the world who think it is better to be dead than gay. And that is a big reason why Pride is such an important thing because if we don't talk about how it's OK to all be whoever you are, some people feel that they can't be that person," said Aubrey Edwards when asked what Pride months means to her.
When asked about representation, Nyla Rose stated, "First and foremost, I believe we are being better represented today than in previous years. A lot of people are just booked based solely on their talent and not so much for who they are, which is the goal. That being the goal is exactly what we want. In some places, they do highlight the queer talent, the LGBT talent, which is awesome. Having that spotlight, and showing the world that we're here and exist, is awesome. However, making improvements is simply just continuing to push forward, having more inclusive spaces, more inclusive language and highlighting and promoting these talents out there to the world and letting them know that they do have a place in various promotions and in the world, is key."
Sonny Kiss, who previously commented that LGBTQ+ athletes should be pushed based on merit all year round and not just during Pride month, said about being a role model, "I feel like a lot of fans who definitely look to me as their reasons for coming out, their reason for wanting to be a wrestler. And I don't want them to think that I'm just a pushover. But I definitely have a different approach in the last year, though, because I wanted them to feel empowered and I want them to know that they can do that.They can be strong, they can be athletic, they can be sexy, they can be fluid and so kick-ass and not live based on stereotypes of other people."
On the subject of discrimination and mental health, Anthony Bowens of The Acclaimed said, "When I first came out and I started a YouTube channel with my boyfriend, Michael, that was probably where the bulk of the hate came from, like the comments were just absolutely brutal things that you should never, say to another human being, such as "I hope you die." And we got it so much that it almost I almost started to laugh. I became numb to it. And by this point, it prepared me for being a wrestler on television because you're always going to get a crazy subnet of people online who are going to hate you and say all these horrible things to you. Now, they just kind of bounce right off me because I don't like to give those people power over my life. And I like to turn all kinds of negatives into positives."
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