WWE Draws Criticism After Letting Go of Several LGBTQ Women

WWE’s latest round of releases is raising eyebrows for more than just the sheer number of Superstars let go.

According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, several of the recently released wrestlers were openly gay women, including Sonya Deville, Tegan Nox, Dakota Kai, and Shayna Baszler.

“Another thing that many have stated is that the WWE has cut a very large number of openly gay women over the past several cuts,” Meltzer reported, adding that “it was enough that Toni Storm on Collision the next night said, ‘I’m queer and I’m here,’ which certainly seemed like a response to the cuts.”

While WWE has not publicly addressed the situation, the noticeable pattern is sparking controversy among fans. With names like Deville and Nox, both of whom had prominent roles on television, now gone, some are questioning if the company’s decisions were based solely on financial or creative considerations.

Meltzer also noted that many of the cuts were “age-related” and that WWE’s developmental system is focusing more on younger talent. The idea, according to Meltzer, is to either push talent to the main roster within two years or cut ties and bring in fresh faces.

Despite WWE’s restructuring efforts, the optics of releasing multiple LGBTQ talent in one round of cuts hasn’t gone unnoticed. Toni Storm’s “I’m queer and I’m here” remark on AEW Collision only fueled the conversation, suggesting the perception that some of WWE’s decisions may have targeted specific demographics.