Darren Young Comes Out As The First Gay WWE Star
Darren Young has just revealed that he is gay, making him the first WWE star to come out. Young announced the news after paparazzi at LAX asked him if a gay man could ever have a successful career in the WWE.
“Absolutely. Look at me,” Young told the man. “I’m a WWE superstar and to be honest with you, I’ll tell you right now, I’m gay. And I’m happy. I’m very happy.”
As for the perception that being gay has on a sportsman’s career, Young explained, “I don’t think it matters. Does it matter? Does it change what you think about me? I’m happy with who I am. I’m comfortable with myself. I’m happy to be living the dream. I’m happy with myself. It’s very important to me that people see that someone’s sexual preference shouldn’t really matter.”
Although some may question his ability to keep his sexual preference out of the ring, Young assures fans that he is perfectly able to remain professional with the other scantily clad men during matches. “We’re all adults. All sports are physical. When I come to work, I come to work. This is a business,” he states. “I’m a WWE superstar. I’m there to entertain. That’s what my job is and I do it well.”
Young’s announcement comes just months after Jason Collins became the first NBA player to come out as gay. At the time, he told Sports Illustrated, “I didn’t set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I’m happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn’t the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, ‘I’m different.’ If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I’m raising my hand.”