WWE just aired one of its gayest segments in years, with Aaron Rourke front and center
Aaron Rourke, the first out LGBTQ male pro wrestler to hold a singles title in WWE history, made his next leap in the pro wrestling megacorp Tuesday night as he debuted on WWE television programming in a series of some of the most gay-coded segments produced by WWE in years. The reigning WWE Evolve Men’s […]
Mark
Aaron Rourke, the first out LGBTQ male pro wrestler to hold a singles title in WWE history, made his next leap in the pro wrestling megacorp Tuesday night as he debuted on WWE television programming in a series of some of the most gay-coded segments produced by WWE in years.
The reigning WWE Evolve Men’s champion made his first appearance on “NXT” as a judge of the Mr. NXT pageant alongside out gay comedian Matt Matthews and WWE star Kit Wilson. Rourke helped judge the in-storyline competition between NXT regulars Tristan Angels and Shiloh Hill as part of their growing rivalry.
The segments featured multiple moments pointing to Rourke’s and Matthews’ gayness, including Rourke being left mouth agape at Angels’ physique during the swimsuit competition and Matthews teaching the quirky Hill how to properly finger clap a la the ballroom and LGBTQ nightlife scene.
Beyond the nods, the story of the segments carried heavy overtones of “finding yourself” and “being true to who you are” through the juxtaposition of the stereotypical posh Angels and Hill’s oddball nature.
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Both Rourke and Matthews commented on those themes during the final Q&A segment.
“Shiloh, I love that you are authentically yourself and you embrace the weird. That’s awesome,” Rourke said.
“From one trailer park to the other, I’m very impressed with how you’ve continued to be yourself throughout this entire wild pageant,” Matthews said. “Even with a missing tooth.”
More WWE confidence in Aaron Rourke?
Hill was ultimately named the winner before the segment devolved into a beatdown by Angels, furthering the two’s issue as the rivalry builds.
But even the melee had a tinge of speaking between the lines as Angels kneeled over the fallen Hill and screamed “Who’s the daddy!” into the camera while holding Hill’s Mr. NXT sash.
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The whole thing was campy, a rarity when it comes to the presentation of male wrestlers in WWE, and offered something base-level yet somewhat meaty to LGBTQ audiences on WWE TV, despite the company’s continued reticence to overtly reference LGBTQ populations and gay, bi, trans and queer identities on its programming.
Rourke’s presence was perfect and potentially signals growing confidence in him as he continues his path in WWE. He is currently signed to a WWE ID deal, which doesn’t make him a full-time contracted WWE wrestler.
Being featured on NXT could mean a change in that status is coming in the future.
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