One of the biggest fears in my life has been rejection. I’m not sure why. I was never the most popular kid in school or in my neighborhood, but I always had a plethora of friends in many different cliques. I was never really rejected by anyone that I hung out with in one clique for hanging out with people in another, yet I always feared being rejected. But as I’ve grown older and continued down the road of adulthood, I have discovered that I truly don’t care as much about rejection anymore. And I why should I? My friends will like me for me, flaws and all. My family will love me for me. My peers will respect me for my work. And complete strangers can think whatever they want, because they’re strangers and they don’t know me.
That being said, it makes it much easier to post here publicly that I’m gay.
For the longest time, I claimed that I was bisexual. When I privately came out to people that already know, I told them that this was the case. And it was. However, I have no real intentions of pursuing females at this stage of my life. I still find beautiful women beautiful. I don’t think that’ll ever change. But I think that to continue to claim something that’s not true is just continuing a streak dishonesty and I don’t want that. Sorry, ladies. I’m officially pulling myself off of the market. Don’t hate me too bad.
To many of my closest friends, they’ve known since the tail end of 2013 when I began the process of telling the people who I felt should know. Some of them “knew” for much longer due to their own assumptions or beliefs. My parents know and they support me. That should be enough, honestly. But still, the speculation that comes from one’s private life always seems to make it’s way into the professional atmosphere and that’s unfair to me. I truly have nothing to hide anymore. I spent the majority of my life lying, hiding and depressed because I felt like I couldn’t truly be who I wanted to be and live freely as I saw fit. I had to act and that’s not me. I, nor anyone else, should have to do that.
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Originally, I never intended to make a public post about my private life. I feel that private matters should stay just that. However, with the constant speculation and discussion behind my back about a matter that could easily be brought to my face, I felt that it would just be best if I silence everyone and told the truth publicly. Now, nobody has to suspect or assume what I do behind closed doors. And to a large extent, do it for myself to get rid of unneeded stress.
Professionally, I am exactly what the root of the word says: a professional. The last thing I’ve ever wanted was to make anyone feel uncomfortable or uneasy. I don’t believe that I’ve done that thus far and nothing is going to change now. Professional wrestling is the thing I love the most and all I wanna do is entertain the fans, do what I love and continue the excellent camaraderie I have with so many of the great people I’ve met over the years. Hopefully nothing changes, but if any relationships change from this post, I’ll know that I didn’t need those people in my life anyway.
I hope that the fans, the promoters and everyone else don’t change their opinions of me. I was the same person yesterday as I am right now, just now, I have a bit more weight lifted off of my shoulders. The stress, depression & worrying that has always come from this is something nobody should have to deal with. Depression is a very real thing, and some people don’t understand that. People often times cannot empathize. But know this: we are all human beings. We all have our own way, traits, personalities & things that make us our own person. Keep that in mind.
To those who already knew and have supported me this far, thank you. To those who have my back, thank you. Apologies to anyone I lied to or had to keep this secret from. I shouldn’t have had to do so, and if you’re my friend, I shouldn’t have felt the need to keep it from you. Friends are friends not because of who they’re attracted to, but because friendship is real. To anyone who has ever been scared of just being real and telling the truth, you shouldn’t be. Yes, I was. But if the people you care about, or even those you don’t, are good people, it won’t matter…the way it SHOULD be.”
—Pro wrestler “Money” Matt Cage telling the world his truth with a note posted on his Facebook page
SeeingAll
Pro-wrestling. LOL. But still….good for him !
Arcamenel
Good for him. Some parts of his quote give me the impression he’s got a small bit of internalized homophobia he’s still working through but that’s not uncommon.
badtungsten
Good for him, but I still have no idea who he is and why this is newsworthy.
SeeingAll
@badtungsten: You have to remember that some people (whether they’re pro-wrestlers or physicists..) are well-known in certain circles even if the general public doesn’t know of them. So if he makes a difference in attitudes for fans of pro-wrestling, that’s one more group that’s moved more to the side of equality. We want to spread that everywhere, right ?
Me2
I’m sorry, WHO?
Bob LaBlah
He is cute. I would love to show him the “disappearing hand” move. I doubt in his case it would be a “submission” hold though. But still, I would love to give him a demonstration.
Kangol
Hurray! Another proud, out pro athlete, who also is a beautiful black man!
badtungsten
@SeeingAll: I did say good for him! I’m not knocking the guy. I was simply expressing my unfamiliarity with him. I wouldn’t mind getting familiar with him though 🙂
SeeingAll
@badtungsten: I wasn’t criticizing you. Just making a point about specialized groups.
Leonard Woodrow
Well done mate! I salute your honesty, and condemn your detractors. United we stand… 🙂
Clark35
Who?
notevenwrong
@Clark35, @Me2: “Who?”
That’s probably exactly why his coming out matters, perhaps more than your average showbiz type that you know of. Because the audience for pro wrestling tends white, less educated, and conservative. They especially need to see gay people.
jason smeds
Women can be very demanding. They want to be courted, they want to be wined and dined, they want half of your assets…the list goes on and one. It’s expensive. I can therefore understand why a bisexual man would feel more comfortable with men. Men are low maintenance.
Grant Mealey
Right on……
money718
Never heard of him.
Billy Sims
He wont get any rejection lol I wouldnt reject him oh no I wouldnt mmm mm mmmm
Realitycheck
@jason smeds:
Want to meet my boyfriend? LOL
Realitycheck
@Clark35:
Here this link will tell you some about the guy
http://prowrestling.wikia.com/wiki/Matt_Cage
NoCagada
@jason smeds: How do you manage to function in the world when you see EVERYBODY through such odd generalizations???
Clark35
Did this guy even think about how when he was a closet queen pretending to be “bisexual” when he knew fully well that he’s gay that he is supporting biphobia and homophobia by lying about his sexuality?
Bob LaBlah
@Clark35: I see where your coming from but heres why I feel it would have been better if he let the world keep guessing: He is not a televised main event wrestler. In other words, he is not bring in the big bucks. On the local wrestling circuit, this guy is lucky if he comes in at $50k per year, regardless of how many times he gets body slammed with enough force that could shatter his spinal cord if something were to go wrong, and it HAS to other wrestlers. He wrestles in an environment where nearly the entire audience is white guys with their young sons in tow.
I was a young kid in the midwest watching wrestlers such as the Amazing Zulu, Ernie “the big cat” Ladd, Sweet Daddy Seiki, Earl “Mr. Universe” Maynard (he really did win the Mr. Universe title back in the…well, it was a while ago) and went home turned on by those guys. I don’t know if any of them were gay but I knew I was. This guy telling the world he IS gay and working in an environment such as that one (country towns pack ’em in at the local halls or where ever can hold 2k people) and also having drop dead good looks too was a move that I know I would not have taken if that was how I paid the bills.
He was smarter than Michael Sams because he waited till he got the job and then came out. But alas, he is in a macho world where a lot will be proven by each defeat, humiliation and injury inflicted upon him now thanks to his coming out. Look below and see for yourself just how “gay” wrestlers are treated. That’s Gold Dust and Roddy “the ass” Piper.
http://www.wwe.com/videos/roddy-piper-vs-goldust-wrestlemania-12-hollywood-backlot-brawl-25059398
Jimm Wiedeman
Good for him. I wouldn’t reject him at all. ð??ð?¼
billywonka
Welcome, friend!
Billy Budd
Very nice indeed. Hope he succeeds in his career.
Saint Law
@jason smeds: Who would want half of your assets? You live out of a dumpster.
But yeah, the other homeless guys who shit in your mouth and then wipe their cheeks on your beard would probably agree – you’re certainly low maintenance.
Blackceo
@notevenwrong:
LMAO….I don’t even need sunglasses cuz of the shade you threw in that comment.