Professional wrestling has always been a captivating blend of athleticism, storytelling, and larger-than-life personalities. Among these captivating personalities, there are trailblazers who have pushed the envelope even further by being some of the first openly lesbian and gay wrestlers.
In this ever-evolving realm of sports entertainment, there have been breathtaking moments, unforgettable events, and milestones that created ripples across the business. The rise of LGBTQ+ wrestlers is one such aspect that demands attention; these individuals displayed skill, passion, and flair within the squared circle.
Embracing this part of pro wrestling history nurtures a deeper understanding and appreciation for those who achieved success against all odds. By acknowledging gay WWE wrestlers like Sonya Deville and Orlando Jordan alongside lesbian wrestlers such as Piper Niven, we lay down stepping stones towards creating an inclusive environment where talents from diverse backgrounds can flourish without inhibition.
Sonya Deville, a celebrated gay wrestler in WWE.
Let's delve into some of the most memorable and groundbreaking moments that have shaped LGBTQ+ representation in wrestling history.
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Trailblazing LGBTQ+ Wrestlers
Several wrestlers have broken barriers and challenged stereotypes, leaving a lasting impact on the sport.
- Sonya Deville: Sonya Deville takes center stage among these celebrated gay wrestlers - she owned her identity while demonstrating exceptional prowess both inside the ring and as an advocate for inclusivity.
- Piper Niven: Piper Niven stormed onto the scene like a force of nature; her presence reverberated across borders and warmed fans' hearts with every thunderous slam.
- Orlando Jordan: Let's not forget Orlando Jordan - his magnetic charisma combined with top-notch athletic abilities put him on the map. By the he was in TNA wrestling. He came out the closet to the world. And revealed on TNA TV, that he was indeed bi-sexual!
Controversial Storylines and Characters
Wrestling has often used controversial storylines to generate buzz, and LGBTQ+ themes have sometimes been part of this strategy.
The "HLA" Incident (Hot Lesbian Action)
WWE is no stranger to publicity stunts. In September of 2002, amidst free-falling ratings, a “gay wedding” between Billy Gunn and Chuck Palumbo grabbed the attention of media outlets around the country. Therefore, Raw GM Eric Bischoff sought, in storyline, to top the rival show with something he enigmatically called, “HLA.”
See, “HLA” stood for “Hot Lesbian Action,” which Bischoff promised to deliver on that night’s episode without so much as an explanation of who would be involved or how the night’s festivities related to wrestling in the slightest way. Not coincidentally, that night’s Raw went head-to-head with the season premiere of Monday Night Football, so the most transparent ratings grab in wrestling history was at least well-timed.
As strange as it seems now, there was a time when the internet was little known, and the masses did not have 24/7 access to all varieties of sexually explicit material on demand. Of course, 2002 was long past that time, as by then most anyone who could afford cable TV could also access pornography on their computers as easily as running water.
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Therein lay the flaw in WWE’s plan for huge ratings. Well, one of the flaws, anyway: anybody who wanted to see “hot lesbian action” could merely look up the real thing on the internet rather than waiting until 10:30 Eastern Time on TNN. Meanwhile, anybody more interested in other things (like, say, wrestling) wouldn’t want to endure two hours of non-stop, intelligence-insulting shilling for the softcore spectacle.
Throughout the entire broadcast, King sounded like he was about to cream his pants right there at the announcers’ table. At the top, the bottom, and sometimes the middle of each segment, Jerry would giggle and squeal hysterically about the upcoming “hot lesbian action,” regardless of what was going on in the broadcast. The message was clear: the only thing worthwhile on that night’s show was going to be that two women were going to have sex (but not really, because the show was only rated TV-14).
Just to hammer the point home, the lesbians were given their own lesbian locker room with a lesbian sign reading, “The Lesbians,” just in case you didn’t realize that the lesbians performing hot lesbian action were lesbians.
Eric Bischoff, naturally, played the role of sleazeball like a pro, sounding like a seedy porn director. And the “lesbians”… Well, they looked about as comfortable as a parent who had been foolish enough to bring their kids to that night’s Raw.
Bischoff asked each of the ladies if they wanted the other one sexually, just to prove their lesbianity.
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Next, Eric suggested ever-so-subtly that the two women take off their shirts. “You know, you’ve got some real nice pecs, but it’s hard to tell under that t-shirt.“
The GM then convinced “Jenny” to take off “Tanya’s” skirt so she could “get a handful of that nice, tight, firm, round buttocks.”
Finally, the two women were told to kiss, which they did with as much gusto as is possible to display without actually kissing the other person. The camera didn’t get a good shot of it, and their long hair got in the way, but it appeared that Tanya and Jenny weren’t too keen on actually touching lips and just sort of faked it.
Just when it looked like Tanya was going to take off Jenny’s bra , Bischoff put the “entertainment” to an abrupt halt, telling the girls that the segment had gone on about “3 minutes” too long. Future Super Hero In Training Rosey and future Samoan Bulldozer Jamal savaged the two participants, first with a stiff kick to Jenny, then a Samoan Drop to Tanya, topped off with a Superfly splash to the stack of lesbians.
The two women were carted out on stretchers, never to be seen again. Thus ended a segment whose sheer tastelessness would go unsurpassed on Raw for literally weeks.
HLA was like that, only instead of heavy-handedly promoting the prospect of Mike Stab and The Lizard standing around taking turns hitting each other with light bulbs, stapling each others’ foreheads, and bleeding buckets for no good reason, WWE expected fans to stick around for a whole show just to see two nobodies with boobs pretend to want to have sex.
It appears that on that fateful night, Vince borrowed Eric Bischoff’s philosophy of “controversy creates cash.” Yet somehow, it backfired, with Raw scoring its lowest ratings since back when it was losing to Nitro every week.
Other Controversial Characters and Storylines
- Goldust: Dustin Runnels Goldust charactor played mind games on others in the ring. But of course to people with common sence, he came off looking gay.
- Billy & Chuck: Billy & Chuck were the first and only tag team in wrestling history who went by looking and being openly gay by wearing pink tights and humping the floor while doing push-ups in the locker room and such. And we will never forget the wedding that they almost had with the help of Rico.
- Dawn Marie: During the storyline between Torrie Wilson, Dawn Marie, and Torrie Wilson's father, Al Wilson.
- Adrian Adonis’ Florist Mr. Bruce: Instead of telling Adrian that he was getting out of shape, the higher ups in the WWF decided to make him a flamboyant gay character. The sprinkles on the shit sundae was they gave him his own talk show, called The Flower Shop. On one installment, the audience of Tuesday Night Titans met his personal florist, Mr. Bruce.
These storylines often relied on stereotypes and invited ridicule, reflecting a less tolerant time in wrestling history.
Billy and Chuck's controversial wedding storyline.
The Exóticos of Lucha Libre
In Lucha Libre, there are the Technicos (faces), the Rudos (heels), and the Exóticos. Exóticos are a unique feature rooted in Lucha Libre. The Exótico will come out in exaggerated feminized attire. Their physical fighting style integrates aspects of camp and vaudeville, subverting and often terrorizing their macho opponent.
The very first Exótico was actually an American looking to use a different heel gimmick in Mexico. Yes, a Texan named Sterling Blake Davis is perhaps the very first Exótico. For most of his career, he was simply flamboyant. Then his "butler" would preen and massage him. This feminized display was the first time we know of where a wrestler used queer coding, engaging in behavior to make the audience perceive them as gay. The desired result was to be reviled as both a homosexual and a narcissist, and it worked.
Cassandro is considered by many to be an icon of the Exótico.
Lucha Libre grand duchess Exótico Cassandro.
Ron Dupree and Chris Colt: A Groundbreaking Tag Team
The team of Ron Dupree and Chris Colt are a great illustration of the incredible stories that were happening in the territories all over the country before the McMahon family consolidated the business.
Unknown to the fans, but open in the locker room, Russel Groves and Chuck Harris, who went by Ron and Paul Dupree, were romantic partners. The two toured the territories, getting a reputation as ferocious heels able to raise the crowd’s ire.
Ron Dupree suffered an in-ring heart attack in 1970, transitioning to managing his partner and creating in-ring attire and entrance gear. Many of his friends felt that Paul Dupree never truly recovered from his partner’s death. He took on the name Chris Colt and began to use a rock and roll-type gimmick. He took huge bumps, and though he’d always been a prolific user, he started leaning even more heavily on drugs.
Adrift without his partner Ron, he was involved in gay pornography at the end of his life. Friends lost track of him, but then he resurfaced in Seattle, a born-again Christian.
The team of Ron Dupree and Chris Colt.
Sandy Parker: A Pioneer for Women and LGBTQ+ Wrestlers
It’s shocking to me that most wrestling fans today have never heard of Sandy Parker. A tomboy raised by her mother and grandmother, Sandy was once married to a man before coming out as a lesbian.
A Canadian by birth, Sandy worked as many territories as she could. Sandy hated that Moolah took such a significant cut from the girls’ checks. Sandy had enough, especially since Moolah also had sexual dalliances with female wrestlers. She couldn’t put up with two-facedness. She played the heel for most of her career.
Being both gay and black, Sandy fought hard for every step forward she made, blazing a trail for those who would follow her.
Sandy Parker, a pioneer for women and LGBTQ+ wrestlers.
Modern Representation and Acceptance
Presently, we have out wrestlers where little is made of their sexuality, and the focus remains on their fighting style.
Some highlight openly gay superstars like Daria Rae Berenato (formerly known as Sonya Deville in WWE), whose sexuality wasn’t treated as a gimmick.
These moments mark real progress - but as the industry moves forward, it’s important to look back.
The following table summarizes some key figures and events discussed in this article:
| Name | Role | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Sonya Deville | WWE Wrestler | Openly gay wrestler, advocate for inclusivity |
| Piper Niven | WWE Wrestler | Lesbian wrestler |
| Orlando Jordan | TNA Wrestler | Openly bisexual wrestler |
| Goldust | WWE Wrestler | Androgynous character, challenged gender norms |
| Billy & Chuck | WWE Tag Team | Controversial "gay wedding" storyline |
| Cassandro | Lucha Libre Wrestler | Iconic Exótico wrestler |
| Ron Dupree & Chris Colt | Tag Team | Openly gay wrestling duo |
| Sandy Parker | Wrestler | Lesbian wrestler, pioneer for women and LGBTQ+ |
As a world audience takes baby steps towards equality, so does the problematic product we love.
20 Wrestling Stars You Didn’t Know Were Gay 🌈
Today in society, homosexuality is growing daily. And it gets more excepted by some if not many. But does that include in sports?
Sure homosexuality should be accepted but if it was just simply accepted then there wouldn't really be a gimmick or storyline. Without that there would be no point in mentioning a wrestler's sexual preference. It would be irrelevant.
Homosexuality is used just like any other stereotype in wrestling. Everything is done over the top.
I think of course homosexuality should be accepted in wrestling and all forms of life. Having gay or camp gimmicks in pro wrestling is a tough one because it can become really stupid and pointless if it was done just for the sake of pointing out the fact a wrestler is gay.
I think anybody who woud be against gay wrestlers just because they are homesexual would just be a meat head, closed minded human being who I would have no time for.
So it's controversial to be gay in a sport/form of entertainment where we've got a bunch of heavily muscled men with little body hair, oiled up in little underwear, wrestling around and grabbing each other, screaming and grunting in submission holds, and getting into feuds because they are fighting over a sparkly belt????
I can see where the issue would arise while wrestling someone who is a homosexual, but the issue shouldn't matter. A homosexual is just another wrestler. Whether they're homosexual or not shouldn't be brought up at any point during one's career unless he or she is playing a stereotypical gimmick.
I'm pretty sure WWE accepts it, or else GLAAD would be all over them like a gang of sexually-deprived rapists on a pretty transsexual male in a men's prison...bad analogy, but you get the point.
When TNA did it with Orlando Jordan it was a trainwreck and he was practically begging to get booed.