10 Times WWE Completely Misunderstood Sexuality
1. The Homosexual Formerly Known As Goldust
As enigmatic as WWE proclaimed it to be but for entirely different reasons, the Goldust persona was in part an effort of tremendous bravery from Vince McMahon, but equally a disappointing vision of the internal reality of an industry constantly chasing the agenda of society rather than setting it.
Crafting the paradoxically gay gimmick in 1995 was a ginormous leap forward for an industry trapped largely in the clutch of decades-old stereotypes, but presenting Goldust as a predatory threat left too heavy-handed an implication that much of the world's gay panic was completely justified rather than horribly misinformed.
Softening the edges with the introduction of his real-life wife Marlena in January 1996, the act only became further diluted after Razor Ramon's abrupt suspension in February brought an impassioned rivalry to a halt, only briefly revived for ungodly kicking doled out by Ahmed Johnson after the 'Bizarre One' gave him near-the-knuckle mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
By the end of the year, the androgyny and ambiguity was all but abandoned, leading WWE to book a deeply regrettable segment in which Goldust babyfaced himself by jumping in to the closet. Responding with a resounding 'No' after Jerry Lawler asked if he was 'queer' (six months before 'The King' would refer to him as a 'flaming f*g' live on Monday Night Raw'), fans erupted as trained for the news that he wasn't gay. Despite the hope of a year earlier, the times hadn't really changed at all.