Fred Rosser Shares Why He Chose To Come Out In WWE

Fred Rosser (formerly WWE’s Darren Young) spoke recently with Insider’s Edge and discussed why he chose to come out as gay in a 2013 TMZ interview (per Wrestling Inc). Rosser spoke about the personal significance of his choice and the varying consequences that resulted. You can read a few highlights from Rosser and listen to the full episode below.

On what was at stake with coming out openly: “There are many reasons why I wanted to come out publicly. With WWE I had reached the top of the mountain. So I pretty much sacrificed my career to inspire others to be and accept themselves.”

On what Rosser wanted to achieve with his revelation: “One of them was having the opportunity to be able to bring my partner backstage into the world of professional wrestling. To be able to walk with him on the red carpet and be happy and be confident. And I was able to do that. Being the first openly gay WWE Superstar, I now have a duty to instill confidence in our youth and to lead by example.”

On what he has accomplished since the TMZ interview: “By being the first, I’ve paved the way for other gay athletes to come out and be themselves. Not just gay athletes, but anyone that gets bullied in silence. I speak to kids all over the world about my ‘Block Hate’ campaign and the damaging effects of bullying. That’s where my journey continues now.”