Diversity Rules Magazine

Tony Guadagnino is a marke ng consul- tant. Located in New Jersey, his clients are based across the country, focusing on social media to build their presence on the internet. He studied crea ve wri ng in college and is cur- rently working his first novel on the subject of bullying. He lives with his partner Mark. The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is the entertainment company that is known primarily for its professional wrestling. When someone men ons the WWE, thoughts of zany an cs, colorful costumes, staged choreography, hard-hi ng jumps from the ropes, and really bad ac ng are the things that flood the minds of people. Watching buff men, ripped bod- ies in sweat, throw themselves around a boxing size ring can be entertaining, if that's your form of fun. Is it any surprise that there have been several gay men in the WWE, but it wasn't un l 2013 when someone came out WHILE PARTICIPAING IN THE PROGRAM? Who it is --- you'll have to read to find out. One of the first gay wrestlers was Canadian Pat Pat- terson. He began his wrestling career in 1958 in Mon- treal, wrestling at the Palais des Sports. He began is career as "Killer" Pat Pa erson, but in 1962, when he was recruited for the Pacific Northwest Wrestling, his persona (by the insistence of his promoter who know of his sexuality) was changed to "Pre y Boy" Pat Pa erson, an effeminate wrestler who wore lip- s ck, sunglasses, and a beret and carried a cigare e holder. It was during this me that he met his part- ner Louie Dondero, whom he was with un l Louie's death in 1998. Eventually, Pa erson (under new name "Lord" Pat Pa erson") joined the WWE in 1979 (known at the me as the World Wrestling Federa on) and be- came the "heel" (the heel is the villain of a wrestling match). A er re ring in 1984, he remained behind the scenes with the WWE, even dubbed as "Vince McMahon's right-hand man" and "one of the chief architects of the WWE, playing an integral role in helping it become a global phenomenon." While he was a major contributor to the WWE, his sexuality was not publicly acknowledged un l June 12, 2014, during the season finale of WWE Legends' House. Chris Kanyon was another wrestler whose sexual- 20| Diversity Rules Magazine |Sept 2020 Empowering Inspiration Gay WWE Wrestlers Pave The Way By Tony Guadagnino Darren Young

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