Anthony Bowens Calls for Proper and Respectful Approach to LGBTQ+ Representation

Anthony Bowens has expressed his desire for LGBTQ+ representation to be portrayed in the right way in professional wrestling.

Bowens, alongside his partner Max Caster, quickly rose through the ranks of AEW’s tag team division in 2022, culminating in their victory over Swerve In Our Glory to capture the AEW World Tag Team Championships. This achievement made Bowens the first openly gay male champion in AEW’s history.

In a conversation with Nerds & Beyond, Bowens discussed his mission to contribute to the progressiveness and inclusivity of professional wrestling for the LGBTQ+ community. He emphasized the importance of presenting LGBTQ+ representation in a manner that corrects past missteps and ensures a positive and authentic portrayal.

“I think companies should be working towards better. For me, I’d want to present it the right way, considering how things were presented in the past which was presented terribly.”

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Bowens acknowledged the delicate nature of approaching LGBTQ+ storylines in wrestling and the scrutiny they often face. He expressed his commitment to finding the right story and approach, as well as his awareness that the portrayal will be closely observed.

“So I’m actively trying to figure out what would be a good story to tell; what would be the right way to go. Because, again, if we are going to do it the right way, we’ve got to make sure that we are doing it the right way.”

“It will be under a microscope because people want to see how this goes, how it plays out, how the story’s written.”

“So there’s a delicacy to it too. It hasn’t really been done correctly before. So that’s something that I would like to probably do in the future.”

Currently, Anthony Bowens, Max Caster, and Billy Gunn are part of AEW’s trios division. The trio recently competed against the reigning AEW Trios Champions, House of Black, at AEW Double Or Nothing.

What are your thoughts on Anthony Bowens’ desire for LGBTQ+ representation to be portrayed in the right way in professional wrestling? Do you believe that wrestling companies should work towards presenting LGBTQ+ storylines in a more positive and authentic manner? Leave a comment below.