10 Times Wrestling GENUINELY Tried To Be Progressive
6. Darren Young Comes Out
Flying in the face of internet forum soothsayers, Darren Young's place in company history as the first openly gay active superstar neither lead to a renewed push for 'Mr No Days Off', nor a sudden exit from television altogether.
WWE somehow actually managed to act by not acting at all. It was a remarkable change of pace for the company that once directed closeted homosexual Chris Kanyon to come out of a wardrobe-sized box dressed as Boy George to take a beating (bordering on a hate crime) from The Undertaker.
The lesser of two evils - Young casually brushing off the affection of a female valet etc etc etzzzz - was also ignored. Being gay was finally not a character trait the industry was going to capitalise on, despite John Cena tiptoeing around a bit of transphobia in drafting a tired mock-up of Bray Wyatt as Sister Abigail shortly afterwards.
Young's October 2017 release came after a string of failed attempts to get him over again after the collapse of his partnership with Titus O'Neil. Ironically, his 'Make Darren Young Great Again' persona with Bob Backlund borrowed liberally from a famously conservative campaign. 'D-Young' had never been further distanced from his sexual preference.