
All-inclusive AEW celebrates Pride month in styleAs a company All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has embraced the notion of making space for people from all walks of life.
by James Richardson
01-07-2022 13:55
in LGBTQIA+
AEW is all-inclusive. Photo: Supplied by All Elite Wrestling/ Warner Media Africa
As a company All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has embraced the notion of making space for people from all walks of life.
--
AEW hire a diverse array of people both behind and in front of the camera and we spoke to some about their experiences being LGBTQIA in the wrestling business.
AEW is all inclusive Former AEW Women's Champion and Trans trailblazer Nyla Rose, says working for this company is an incredible experience.
It feels great. I mean, it's it's kind of how things should be across the board. Right? There is, not just AEW, but Warner media and the whole team behind us, our network, everybody, it's not just a feather in a cap like it, it truly feels like from the, from the top to the bottom, that we're all a family and everybody's got everybody's back. And that feels incredible. Whereas, you know, a lot of companies, most companies either pay no mind or like write you off, or, you know, don't really support you in those ways. It feels incredible to have a whole team a mass of people, people I don't even know or are aware of behind me 100%.
--
Nyla Rose and Vickie Guerrero. Photo: All Elite Wrestling/ Warner Media Africa Why representation matters As to why representation matters, Nyla, says its all about bringing people in from the cold.
It matters because you, you want to see yourself represented, you know, growing up, I didn't have anybody, like myself to look up to. So it was kind of like my own dirty little secret. I didn't, you know, I felt something was wrong with me, I didn't know that it was like, okay to be this way. I just, I was lost in my own head. But had I had someone to kind of look up to or even just say, not necessarily look up to you, but just say, hey, this person exists, they're like me and see what they're going through. If I had that, I might not have questioned so many things for so long. I might have, you know, made some changes a lot sooner in life, I would have had that confidence to know that it's okay. So, representation matters, whether it be, you know, seeing a powerful female figure in a leadership position, being seeing a person of colour, doing something, you know, that you yourself are striving to do, or just be out there in a successful position, be it someone in the LGBT plus community, whatever it is, you want to see yourself reflected in a positive way. Because then you know, it's okay to exist, it's okay to be yourself. You know, even if you don't know that person, that you have people out there, you don't feel so alone.
The Acclaimed have arrived The Acclaimed's Anthony Bowens says that AEW has created an environment that he never dreamed could have been possible.
--
Anthony Bowens of the Acclaimed. Photo: All Elite Wrestling/ Warner Media Africa There was a time where I didn't think I'd be able to do this, there was a time where I didn't think I'd be able to exist as successfully as an out gay professional wrestler, and to be able to have a outlet to do that, to live my dream.
And to also, you know, be excited to come to work without worry of judgement, or any kind of negativity in regards to my sexuality is huge. And it's a relief. It's also a big part of, you know, me coming here because when I when I first before I was signed, I came here as an extra that restaurant dark during the pandemic. One of the things that I saw was the, you know, the our LGBT athletes like Sonny kiss, and Ella rose just walking around being themselves without a care in the world. And, you know, that really stuck out to me as someplace that I would love to work.
ALSO READ: The best AEW matches so far
Sonny Kiss makes a difference in AEW Sonny Kiss appears on AEW Dark. Photo: All Elite Wrestling / Warner Media Africa. Sonny Kiss is another performer breaking new ground in AEW, and feels that LGBTQI people within the company are being allowed to be open about who they are without making their identity a gimmick.
I think it just happens over time. I feel like people are used to the Adrian Street and people like that, who kind of have, we're just characters. So I feel like over time, they have to continue to keep getting to know that no, not all LGBTQ people are like this, or like that, there's no one way. So I feel, once the fans continue to get to know, Sonny Kiss as a gender fluid, trans feminine person, I feel like it'll just become a lot easier. And I was like, okay, like, that's who he is. But I think it's impossible, you know, for everyone to kind of get it immediately also, too, because the pronouns and things like that are all very mutable. So it's just has to happen over time.
You can catch AEW programming on TNT Africa (DStv Channel 137) with new episodes of Rampage and Dynamite airing on Saturdays and Sundays respectively from 10:00 (CAT). Episodes are also available on DStv catchup for subscribers.
If you know your rugby, you could win R1 000 in cash! ENTER NOW & WIN
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
07/07/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
07/07/2026
New Kessler 10 data now available in Nielsen CMI gives brands a deeper view of h...
07/07/2026
New Nielsen Ad Intel and CMV data reveals rising competition in Australia's ...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
Riedel Communications and ARRI played a key role in one of the most technically ambitious Eurovision Song Contest productions to date. For the first time in the...
07/07/2026
Berklee Valencia Honors Eric Whitacre at the 2026 Commencement Ceremony The Grammy-winning composer was celebrated alongside this years cohort of masters degr...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
The appointment will drive growth and innovation across the Media Business Unit
Fincons Group, a leading IT business consultancy and systems integrator company...
07/07/2026
International broadcast and streaming expert Big Blue Marble has announced a multi-month Proof of Concept (PoC) for Media over QUIC (MoQ) during a major interna...
07/07/2026
Test & measurement innovator, Leader Electronics of Europe, is proud to announce that two of its leading products, the PHABRIX Qx rasterizer and LeaderPhabrix L...
07/07/2026
Clear-Com announced that Ross Production Services (RPS), a leading provider of mobile production solutions for live events and broadcasts, has standardized on ...
07/07/2026
LiveU redefined live newsgathering with the invention of cellular bonding. At IBC2026, Stand 7.C24, the company will show how that foundation is evolving into t...
07/07/2026
LucidLink, a leader in cloud-based file services for content creators, today announced an enhanced workflow integration between LucidLink and Adobe Frame.io tha...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
New appointments to Screen Australia board 7 July 2026
The Albanese Labor Government has made new appointments to the Screen Australia board.
Dr Tania Chamber...
07/07/2026
The right team. The right time.' How The Killings at Parrish Station stuck t...
07/07/2026
Berklee College of Music Alum and Faculty Perform at Boston Public Library's...
07/07/2026
To Whom It Concerns RT today confirmed that Patrick Kielty is to extend his contract as host of The Late Late Show.
Last season, the world's longest-runn...
07/07/2026
Max single-threaded CPUs at scale are a new category of CPUs built for the agentic AI era.
Across the creation and deployment of an agentic system, the CPU is...
07/07/2026
Scripps Research scientists train the immune system to make antibodies against numerous HIV strains Preclinical findings mark progress toward a long-sought vacc...
06/07/2026
Long-developed relationships and informal access, three production models, and c...
06/07/2026
The deal follows Lumine's recent acquisition of Synamedia's video-networ...
06/07/2026
This former SportsCenter producer is shaping local-team studio coverage to surro...
06/07/2026
IMS Productions and FOX Sports deployed more than 100 cameras, 32 onboard feeds,...
06/07/2026
Lumine Group Inc. has announced the completion of its acquisition of the Video Network Business from Synamedia. The business will operate as a standalone compan...
06/07/2026
NASCAR has announced a content and commercial partnership with Motorsport Network, a motorsports and automotive media platform, to distribute NASCAR original co...
06/07/2026
Versant Media Group has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Full Swing, a sports technology company, from Bruin Capital and a group of minority investor...
06/07/2026
DAZN has announced global broadcast rights to 3ICE, a professional hockey format featuring three skaters and a goalkeeper per side, with no power plays or offsi...
06/07/2026
Bundle gains 100 new synths & more
Synth Anthology 5 the largest and most feature-packed edition of UVI's hardware synth emulation bundle, bringing toge...
06/07/2026
Available now via free firmware update
MOTU have just announced that three of their popular audio interfaces now boast official Milan Certification. The 16A...
06/07/2026
Rohde & Schwarz completes Hunter Preliminary Design Review for the Integrated Co...
06/07/2026
The R&S IMAGER from Rohde & Schwarz uses millimeter wave imaging to inspect the ...
06/07/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
06/07/2026
Digital Domain Appoints Industry Veteran Patrick Davenport as Executive Vice Pre...
06/07/2026
Gravity Media USA appoints Brittney Boston as Head of Business Development
Brie Clayton July 6, 2026
0 Comments
The strategic new appointment supports...
06/07/2026
Remote Editing Without Cloud Storage in Resolve
Michael Cioni July 6, 2026
0 Comments
This is a step-by-step guide that demonstrates how to setup your...
06/07/2026
Automatic Caption Translation in Adobe Premiere Pro
Colin Smith July 6, 2026
0 Comments
Here I showcase the innovative automatic caption translation f...
06/07/2026
Flavor's First Ever Managing Director Neal Cohen Retires; Longstanding Execu...
06/07/2026
How Adam Rosenwach Pivoted from Music to Medtech Without Missing a Beat What do the rehearsal room and the boardroom have in common? More than you might think...