much respect

Champion pro wrestler CM Punk goes viral for delivering a powerful Pride message inside the ring

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CM Punk stand shirtless in a wrestling ring.

CM Punk is one of the most decorated pro wrestlers today. The Chicago native, famous for his straight-edge persona, is a multi-time heavyweight champion and exceptional performer. But when he returned to the ring Saturday night, he spouted maybe his most important message yet.

Support LGBTQ+ youth.

Wrestler CM Punk holding up a sign that says "support LGBTQ+ youth."
Twitter

Headlining All Elite Wrestling’s (AEW) “Collision” event at Chicago’s United Center, Punk, who’s spent the last several months sidelined due to injury, spotted a fan holding a sign with the aforementioned message. After the show went off the air, Punk approached the fan, and brought the sign into the squared circle.

The legendary grappler proceeded to talk about backlash he’s received for promoting an ice cream bar, Pretty Cool Ice Cream, that supports transgender youth. Punk said he can’t understand why people possess such animus towards marginalized people.

“I got a lot of hate for reposting that message. Somebody in particular, don’t know who it is, a nameless, faceless, person on the Internet said, why do you support that trash?” he said. “I thought about replying, but you can’t argue with stupid, okay? You just both look stupid. The reason I support trans kids trans, grownups, gay, straight, lesbian, whoever is because I know when I was growing up, I didn’t fit in anywhere.”

Punk went on to say he didn’t fit in because of his physical appearance, which he could change. LGBTQ+ kids don’t have that option.

“It was because of the clothes I wore, what my hair looked like, the music I listened to, those are all things I could rectify. I could cut my hair, I could listen to jazz. I don’t know what,” he said. “But to be somebody who’s gay, lesbian, especially trans I don’t know what it feels like to be trapped in a body that I don’t feel I belong.”

It didn’t take long for Punk’s post-match message to go viral. “Having one of your idols support your community like this is amazing,” tweeted the person who shared the video.

Punk, 44, is a long-standing LGBTQ+ ally. He was voicing his support for same-sex marriage over a decade ago, back when a majority of Americans still opposed the concept. “Same sex marriage should be legal. The fact that it’s illegal is embarrassing,” he tweeted in 2012.

A historical bastion for atavism, pro wrestling is far from the most progressive entertainment industry. For decades, wrestlers have trafficked in racist tropes and other stereotypes to generate crowd reaction.

But the industry is changing. There are more out LGBTQ+ wrestlers than ever, including Anthony Bowens, who became the first openly gay man to win an AEW championship last fall.

Probably the most well-known out LGBTQ+ wrestler is Sonya Deville, who works for the WWE, by far the biggest company in the industry (WWE is currently valued at more than $7 billion).

Deville says she understands, and takes seriously, her role as a representative for LGBTQ+ wrestlers and wrestling fans.

“It’s something that’s super important because I went through that same journey that a lot of people are going through in the LGBTQ community, which is struggling with my sexuality and being open about it,” she said in an interview with Outsports.

Darren Young, who currently wrestles in Japan under his real name, was the first active WWE wrestler to publicly come out as gay in 2013.

Young says he’s enjoyed widespread support in the wrestling community since his announcement. “From guys like Randy Orton, who I still communicate with to this day, [to] Mark Henry, Sheamus, Titus O’Neil, [and a] plethora of other superstars, they made it a lot more easy for me to walk into a locker room,” he said in an interview.

These days, WWE sells its own Pride merchandise; and last year, several superstars participated in a special Pride photoshoot.

This year, IMPACT Wrestling, another well-known promotion, held its first Pride photoshoot.

While those gestures are welcome, there’s nothing that compares to an actual superstar professing his love and support for LGBTQ+ people inside of the ring. Straight allies always have a role to play in spreading messages of inclusion, but that’s especially the case in sports and entertainment.

Punk’s speech Saturday was powerful, and maybe even changed a few hearts and minds.

“I want everybody to be themselves. Just do no harm to everybody else. Thank you. I love you,” he said.

We love him, too.

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