On Monday, pro Wrestler Anthony Bowens published a letter in The Players Tribune to his fans and supporters. In his letter, Bowens talked about how he’d been passed-over when he tried out for WWE back in 2015. The feedback he recieved was that he ‘looked great and performed magnificently in the ring. However, when he had a mic in his hand, he lacked personality.’
Bowens says he knew he wasn’t able to project his personality because he was hiding a big part of himself.
“I think I knew the truth: As long as I was closeted as a wrestler, I wasn’t going to reach my full potential. Because I wasn’t going to be able to tap into everything that makes me me.”
His letter was lauded by fans. However, it turns out *some* fans didn’t want to know about it. Well, Bowens wasn’t having it! He took a screenshot of some of the more ignorant replies and posted a message in response, basically telling the homophobes that he wasn’t sharing his experiences for them, but speaking out more for queer youth in need of role models. Find his response after the jump!
Bowens wrote.
“I’m not posting this because it bothers me but more to explain something because the
@PlayersTribune got such a big reaction,” he said.
“I get both positive and negative comments that say ‘who cares, we support you’ or ‘it doesn’t matter..he’s talking about it too much’ in regards to my speaking about being an out athlete. My kind of activism isn’t in your face, but I do not shy away from talking about it when asked, and there’s really never a time where I’m not asked about it.
“If you’re someone making that comment… THIS part of my life isn’t for YOU. It’s for those that can relate to me and the struggles that I have gone through in my life because of it. I didn’t have someone to look up to and now I have the opportunity to be that others. So yes, it DOES matter.”
Good for Anthony for using his platform in a way that makes a difference. Wrestling is great and all, but effecting real change within your audience is what he will truly be remembered for! More of this.
He just needs to be himself. There’s a lot of conservatives that are wrestling fans that will criticize. Strange considering it’s basically half naked men touching and hugging each other a lot.
“THIS part of my life isn’t for YOU. It’s for those that can relate to me and the struggles that I have gone through in my life because of it.” Yes, yes, yes! This hits home with me, and it’s also “authentic” (term over-used) in a way that’s different than drag, which has nothing to do with me. Thank you Anthony!