In the world of sports, professional wrestling is definitely one league that’s all about hyper-masculinity, male dominance and aggression, all of which typically help to create an atmosphere rife with homophobia. But the WWE has traditionally gone against the grain in its pro-gay activism and the major wrestling federation recently made a powerful pro-gay statement by teaming up with the NOH8 campaign for a large-scale campaign.
Adam Bouska’s latest NOH8 series features several of WWE’s biggest superstars, including Triple H, Batista, Big Show, Cesaro, Daniel Bryan, all the Total Divas, The Miz, Jack Swagger, and The Usos.
Perhaps more importantly, the campaign features the WWE’s first openly gay wrestler, Darren Young, who came out to widespread praise and support from his colleagues last year.
“I am so honored to be a part of the WWE NOH8 Campaign. The most important thing is to be able to live your life the way you want to, truthfully. NOH8 makes that possible,” said Young, who has worn NOH8 gear during several broadcasts and company videos, including an appearance at Wrestlemania.
“I love wearing my NOH8 hoodie everywhere I go and I love wearing it to the ring, because it sends a positive message to everyone to show tolerance and acceptance for the LGBT community,” Young added.
That sentiment is shared by the WWE’s chief brand officer, Stephanie McMahon.
“Our mission at WWE is to put smiles on people’s faces and we do that, in part, by participating in initiatives that help fight bullying of all kinds,” said McMahon. “We are proud to support the LBGT community by taking part in the WWE NOH8 Campaign.”
We applaud the WWE for using their star power to bring awareness to the fight for LGBT equality and we hope their message helps their many generations of fans live a life of acceptance and freedom when it comes to the people around them, regardless of gender or sexuality.
Check out more photos from the series after the cut. –nicholas robinson
