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It’s been seven years since former WWE superstar Darren Young made headlines when he came out as gay.

In the lead up to 2013’s SummerSlam, the pro wrestler told TMZ that, yeah, he was gay, thus making him the first out WWE player in history. Shortly after that, he appeared on Ellen and Today Show to share his story and to hopefully inspires others.

Young, whose real name is Fred Rosser, left WWE in 2017. Now, in an interview with TV Insider, he’s reflecting on his historic coming out experience.

“When I came out, people had reached out to me on social media. There was one who told me her friend, a big wrestling fan, came out to their family. It was that moment I realized my story was a big deal,” the 36-year-old recalls.

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Young says other WWE performers reached out to show their support.

“Guys like Randy Orton, Big Show, Mark Henry, Sheamus, Titus O’Neil, they made it a lot easier to walk into the locker room,” he continues. “I always say coming out also greatly improved my performance as an athlete and a person.”

“Instead of worrying about what people thought of me or what they were saying, I was able to fully own who I am and focus my energy on my wrestling and my advocacy work. I say my fight is much bigger than any ring.”

He adds, “To be the first openly gay WWE superstar, I’ve been able to encourage wrestling fans all over the world to go after their dreams. Do not let the negativity of others derail your journey.”

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While Young, who launched the pro-LGBTQ #BlockTheHate social media campaign, says he personally “never felt discriminated against,” he does think there is still work that needs to be done.

“We still have a long way to go, but we are making moves,” he says. “We’re making moves to be accepted and to put yourself out there and be a superhero. For me, I’m going to be that superhero for the LGBTQ [community] or anyone that gets bullied.”

He continues, “We’re still a long ways away. With the new law passed from the Supreme Court for people in [jobs] not to be discriminated against in all states in America, that’s huge for us. [On June 15, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal law protects gay, lesbian and transgender people from employment discrimination.] Nobody wants to be discriminated against for their sexual orientation. For them to pass that, it’s amazing.”

“We have a long way to go. But there is progress.”

Scroll down for more pics from Young’s Instagram page…

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Related: Pro basketball player Daniel Arcos comes out as gay

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