The world of professional wrestling was injected with some inclusion over the weekend, with two wrestlers flying the rainbow flag in representation of the LGBTIQ+ community at WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans.
Popular Irishman Finn Bálor, already known as a vocal ally, entered the Superdome surrounded by fans wearing his rainbow “Bálor Club For Everyone” t-shirts, a portion of the proceeds from which go to GLAAD.
"Everyone deserves to be accepted and included," Bálor wrote in an Instagram post before the fight, adding that WWE was proud to champion inclusion in the notoriously hetero-dominant sport.
The event also marked the WrestleMania debut of Sonya Deville, WWE’s first openly lesbian wrestler, who wore a two-piece rainbow outfit for the occasion.
“I want to send out the right message and I want to talk about it properly,” Deville said in an interview with Wrestling Inc.
The 24-year-old later told 6ABC News: “If I can be a voice for people who might be intimidated by coming out, and they see my doing it in front of pretty big people in the WWE world, hopefully it will give them the courage to do it.”
WrestleMania is the annual professional wrestling event produced by WWE.
