Pro Wrestling EVE will rock the London Pride Parade in 2019

Pro Wrestling EVE have been at the forefront of British wrestling for years, not just because they put on incredible shows – although they do – but because their attitude and principles are light years ahead of so many other pro-wrestling promotions.

Whether it’s their stand against WWE’s ethically dubious Crown Jewel show, or their assertion at the beginning of every show that they will not tolerate hate speech from the crowd, Pro Wrestling EVE are consistently forward-thinking, and they’re not afraid to speak their collective mind.

So the recent news that EVE have secured a float at London’s 2019 Pride Parade is very welcome news indeed. EVE made the announcement two days ago, and in that short space of time, thanks to the generosity of fans, they’ve already managed to crowdfund the entry fee to secure their place in the Pride Parade.

Pro Wrestling EVE are a grassroots promotion. They’re not a megalith like WWE, or funded by a billion-dollar grossing telecommunications conglomerate. It’s EVE’s ability to amass a fiercely loyal fanbase that allow them to keep producing top-quality wrestling shows. So when EVE reach out like this, it’s entirely legitimate: they need our help to get to Pride.

In 2019, when the world’s biggest wrestling promotion has just one openly gay wrestler on its roster, it feels more important than ever that professional wrestling as an industry should work towards greater representation of LGBTQ+ people. We’re seeing small but significant changes happening: AEW recently signed openly gay wrestler Sonny Kiss, along with openly bisexual and transgender wrestler Nyla Rose.

And as a promotion which proudly lists LGBTQ+ wrestlers Charlie Morgan, Laura DiMatteo and recent addition Rebel Kinney as significant additions to their roster, it feels entirely right that EVE should fly the flag for pro-wrestling at Pride. It can sometimes feel a little hollow when companies try to show off their rainbow credentials – as wonderful as it is for Finn Balor to speak in support of LGBT fans, when the company provides little in the way of actual inclusivity it all feels a bit empty.

Not so with Pro Wrestling EVE:

"“What if by coming out at EVE, by not hiding who I am, I inspire a 13 year old girl who’s in the closet? I love EVE’s whole ethos on what they stand for, it’s completely different to any other promotion and gives a platform to people like me to shout from the rooftops about what I believe in” – “Fearless” Charlie Morgan, EVE wrestler and part of the LGBT community"

https://twitter.com/ProWrestlingEVE/status/1118849647911538688

As EVE work towards their £4000 goal, please consider a donation. Promotions who are willing to stand up for what they believe in are still vanishingly rare, but with Pro Wrestling EVE setting the standard, there’s hope yet that the professional wrestling industry as a whole might still adapt and change. Because at the end of the day, a more inclusive industry is a more interesting industry – and all fans should be able to feel represented by the stars they come to watch.

You can donate to Pro Wrestling EVE’s cause here. Let’s lend our support to the most outspoken, passionate and progressive promotion in pro-wrestling today, not just because representation matters – although it does – but because EVE are really, really awesome.