Pro Wrestling: Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are

The world of pro wrestling has gained three more openly LGBTQ people, Outsports reports.

Kayla Braxton, WWE backstage announcer and co-host of Talking Smack, came out as bisexual in a social media post last week that addressed how she had felt boxed-in because of her race and sexual orientation.

"My whole life, I've had to choose. Are you Black? Are you white? Which bubble do you fill in on the SATs? I always filled in 'other' because nothing applied to me," Braxton said via Twitter. "Tonight, I choose to be over having to choose. Hello world. I'm Kayla. Oh. And yeah - I'm Bi." Braxton followed with a tweet of the bisexual Pride flag. Though she was praised by many in the pro wrestling world, she deactivated her Twitter account afterward. Outsports contends this is "possibly due to harassing comments."

In another outing, wrestling merchandise designer Ash Dabbath asked on Twitter, "Who all is (openly) queer in wrestling?" Among the many responses to Dabbath's tweet was Logan Black, a Brooklyn-based wrestler, trainer and host of the Year One Wrestling podcast. Black tweeted, "Those close to me already know. And (at least recently) I've been really truthful about it when asked. So, yeah. Hi."

Black had been reluctant to address his sexual orientation publicly until Dabbath's tweet, he tells Outsports, gave him "an open door to say it."

"I was always weird about saying something on social media. Not that I don't 100% support others that went public in that way, but personally, I'm a bit more shy about myself than my in-ring persona would give off," Black told Outsports. "The response I got was a bit overwhelming but all positive. Lots of love. Seeing queer talent like the tweet that I'd never met, like Parrow and Dark Sheik, both whom I have insane respect for, made me realize that it was the right choice to make."

Black said his reluctance stemmed from his perception that "I wasn't queer enough for the community. I was too masc, too straight passing, too secretive about who I was. But the queer wrestling community is seriously the best," Black said. "Once I got over the fact that all of those feelings were just in my head, it was a lot easier to be open and honest with myself."

Black credits former Uncanny Attractions producer and Pro Wrestling Mothership host Darnell Mitchell for supporting and accepting him.

Mad Dog Connelly also responded to Dabbath's tweet, coming out as pansexual. Connelly said he was already out to family and friends but felt this was "a good opportunity to just say it out loud." Connelly told Outsports, "I just felt like it ... I think I've been starting to feel more comfortable with myself very recently. It was nice to say it and get it off my chest. It doesn't change my day-to-day at all though. I still am who I am."

More people from the sports world are coming out, finding support from teammates and fans and providing much-needed visibility for other closeted players and fans. However, some – like American rugby player Devin Ibanez, former British footballer Thomas Beattie, and gay Black swimmer Dwight Richardson who has contended with both homophobia and racism – have cautioned there is still work to do in dismantling discrimination and bias in sports.