Gisele Shaw has come out as transgender.
In interviews with San Francisco Chronicle and Breakfast Television in Toronto, Shaw opened up about her decision to come out.
"The news is that today, I am truly living my life to the fullest, truly authentic, and I am transgender and I'm very proud," she said on Breakfast Television. "It's super scary, but the more I speak about it, I feel it just gets normalized and I feel more free and accepting of my own self and loving myself. I think that's really important."
Shaw told The Chronicle, “There is really no perfect time to be coming out. It’s my journey. Now just felt right for me. Coming from an Asian background, being the oldest, there was an unsaid rule, the expectation was that I would carry the family name, that I would set an example, that I would take care of my sisters. There was a lot of pressure from my parents to be great. My sisters were so important, asking ‘How can you feel like you have failed as a parent? Gisele gets to live her dream. If you want us to look up to someone, why not someone living their dream and being the best version of themselves?’ That was an eye-opener for my parents.”
Shaw will be speaking at the Trans Rally & March in Toronto on Friday and attending the Pride Parade on Saturday.
Shaw is currently signed to IMPACT Wrestling. IMPACT gave the following statement:
IMPACT Wrestling Knockout competitor Gisele Shaw has disclosed she is a transgender woman to the wider public. Shaw, who joined IMPACT’s roster in January of this year, informed IMPACT of her decision several months ago and made the disclosure in a series of interviews today.
IMPACT Wrestling fully supports Gisele, including connecting her with prominent LGBTQ+ resources, including GLAAD and Athlete Ally, and will continue to support her.
IMPACT Wrestling Executive Vice-President Scott D’Amore said: “IMPACT Wrestling has been at the forefront of empowering female performers for over 15 years. Our company believes featuring storylines with women athletes and characters from all different walks of life can not only entertain, but also inspire.
“Inclusiveness and representation are important to IMPACT and parent company Anthem Sports & Entertainment, but I’ll also add Gisele is in IMPACT Wrestling because of her wrestling ability, her charisma and because she fits in with our roster. She is in IMPACT Wrestling because she’s one of the best young talents anywhere in the business.”
Reigning IMPACT Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace expressed her whole-hearted support for Shaw’s decision. She said: “As her friend, I’m excited for Gisele to be able to inspire people with her story. I know that is important to her. I’m biased, but I think the trans community has a great role-model in her.”
She is set to face Rosemary on the June 30 episode of IMPACT Wrestling.
