TORONTO — WWE superstar Darren Young came out Wednesday, making him the first openly-gay active pro wrestler.
Young, 29, made the revelation in the baggage area of the Los Angeles airport after a TMZ reporter asked him how easy it would be for a WWE star to come out.
“Look at me,” he replied. “I’m a WWE superstar and to be honest with you, I’ll tell you right now, I’m gay. I’m happy. I’m very happy.”
Young, whose real name is Fred Rosser, said he is comfortable with himself and “living the dream.”
He added: “Some people might not like it but I’m here to please myself. I’m happy with myself.”
The wrestler, who is taking part in WWE’s SummerSlam on Sunday, said he hopes to make a difference.
“It’s very important to me that people understand that someone’s sexual preference doesn’t really matter,” he told TMZ.
Young also said he’s not concerned about the reaction of his fellow WWE stars.
“We’re all adults,” he said. “When I come to work, I come to work. I’m there to entertain and that’s what my job is to do and I do it well.”
In the book Wrestling Reality, former pro wrestler Chris Kanyon opened up about being gay in the WWE. Orlando Jordan, who retired from the WWE in 2006, said he is bisexual.
A number of athletes have come out recently, including NBA player Jason Collins and pro soccer player Robbie Rogers, who now plays for L.A. Galaxy.
In the current issue of GQ, Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III said he’s certain there are gay NFL players and “if they’re looking for a window to just come out, I mean, now is the window.”
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