All Elite Wrestling, AEW, has a chance to change the wrestling business in a profound way, but many fans were understandably worried about their actual intent to create a safe environment for all of their fans.
At AEW’s Double or Nothing “Ticket Party”, several important new signings were announced, but none were more important than Sonny Kiss and Nyla Rose. Both wrestlers are rising stars in the business who could become major players in AEW. Kiss is openly gay, and Rose is the first openly trans athlete to sign with a major promotion.
But while Brandi and Cody Rhodes, as well as the other people in charge of AEW, should be praised for hiring Kiss and Rose as part of their first additions to the roster, fans were rightfully concerned with the responses to these two signings.
Several AEW fans tweeted homophobic and transphobic remarks in response to both signings, with Rose receiving some especially horrifying tweets. Many fans started to question if they’d feel welcome at AEW’s shows, because even if the promotion itself is willing to have better representation, there could still be problems if some AEW fans in attendance directed hate speech towards others.
Darnell Mitchell started this important conversation on Twitter, and it was given a critical boost by Callum Leslie, leading to Cody Rhodes’s response.
Unsurprisingly, Cody was resistant to Darnell’s request for AEW to release a statement condemning the hate speech directed towards Rose, Kiss, and others. (Content warning for homophobia and transphobia: you can view examples of this gross behavior here if you don’t believe that these tweets have been rampant.)
We are promoting matches that’s causing this apparent debate (which I admittedly have not seen and instead have seen only excitement/happiness). The stand is in standing by those matches. Why would we signal boost hatred? Wrestling is for everybody and not everything is a scandal
— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) February 13, 2019
Thankfully, Cody eventually realized the importance of making a statement to assure queer wrestling fans, people of color who watch wrestling, and others who are victims of targeted harassment in the community that they will be safe and welcome at AEW’s shows.
A big thank you goes to UPROXX’s Elle Collins, too, and, as an aside, they are one of the best wrestling writers in the biz.
We are putting a statement together on this matter. We want everybody to feel safe at the events. Performers/fans/staff etc.
— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) February 13, 2019
Brandi Rhodes has done such an important job of building the AEW Women’s Division – which currently includes Britt Baker, Penelope Ford, and Kylie Rae along with Rose – and bringing wrestling closer to the 21st century. So it was only appropriate for her to give this statement on AEW’s behalf; it seems like she understands this issue better than many others around her.
A safe, inclusive, respectful and very cool environment will be central to everything we do at AEW. Be who you are, and come as you are. Because we're all going to come together as a community to change the world. #AEW (2/2)
— Brandi Rhodes (@TheBrandiRhodes) February 13, 2019
“Safe, inclusive, and respectful”.
That’s all underrepresented wrestling fans (and some wrestlers themselves!) have been asking for. It can be so stressful going to wrestling events as a queer wrestling fan, a woman, or a person of color – and some fans fall into more than one category – because of the abuse hurled by other fans; abuse that isn’t properly condemned by promotions.
AEW will have to prove these words with actions, but it is encouraging that after some initial resistance from Cody, the promotion was able to release a statement on social media acknowledging this as a critical problem.
Wrestling has been even less welcoming than other popular forms of entertainment, such as music and cinema, and bridging that gap will continue to be a challenge. But it’s vital for major promotions to take those steps, ignore the bigots, and aim for a better industry for all.