The Daily Beast recently posted an article discussing WWE’s possible hesitation to promote LGBT characters on their programming, and it features some notable comments from Stephanie McMahon.
McMahon, who was noted to have made the comments while attending the ESPN ESPY Awards last week, said the ‘Darren Young’ character isn’t gay, but the man who plays him, Fred Rosser, is.
“Darren Young was the first WWE superstar to really come out as being homosexual, but his character in the show is not. At least, we haven’t done anything with it either way — just yet.”
McMahon also noted that WWE isn’t opposed to adding a gay or LGBT character, but it should be done right and make business sense:
“It could very well pop up in WWE because we are all about what’s relevant, and what’s pop culture, and what people want to see. So if there is an opportunity, we might just take it…
…You know, in WWE our storylines are a year long. They don’t go episodic, week to week—they really are the arc from WrestleMania to WrestleMania. So sometimes it takes a little longer than people would like for the seeds to grow. But we’re constantly planting them.”
The article goes on to talk about ‘flamboyant’ characters in wrestling history, and some rumored suggestions of taking a “top star” and making him gay. The Wrestling Observer’s Ben Miller, who was also quoted for the piece, added,
“I think the big worry that WWE has is that they think their audience is really stupid. So they worry that they’re going to have a character who comes out as gay, and it’s going to be like the Mexican soccer fans in Charlotte chanting ‘culero’ at [an opposing player]. I think they think that their fans would chant something homophobic at him, and that’s going to get press and make WWE look not progressive.”
Darren Young came out as gay in August 2013, making him WWE’s lone openly gay active wrestlers. While it is public knowledge, almost no mention of Young’s homosexuality has been made on WWE TV, aside from a few comments by his tag team partner, Titus O’Neil, like during a WWE RAW vignette. The pair were talking about a coming out party during their quest for the tag team titles, and Titus quipped that Young ‘already had his’ last year.

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July 22, 2015
Stephanie McMahon Talks Darren Young, Says Young’s ‘Character’ Isn’t Gay, Is There A Reason For Lack Of LGBT Gimmicks?
February 11, 2015
Darren Young Deletes Tweet About WWE's Abu Dhabi Tour, Says His Freedom of Speech Is Gone; WWE Responds
Darren Young spoke out against WWE's tour of Abu Dhabi earlier today with the following tweet:
"Why do we bring the best entertainment into a country like abu dhabi and they look down upon women and gays? I get it! #MillionsofDollars"
Young has since deleted that tweet. He posted the following after deleting it:
"My freedom of speech is gone. Gone but not forgotten."
WWE released the following statement:
“WWE does not discriminate against individuals regardless of age, race, religion or sexual orientation, and we continue to proudly support Fred Rosser (aka WWE Superstar Darren Young) for being open about his sexuality.
Unfortunately, WWE cannot change cultures and laws around the world, and thus we did not send Fred Rosser to the United Arab Emirates for our upcoming events for his own protection.
WWE also fully supports Fred Rosser’s right to express his views on personal social media accounts rather than WWE’s corporate platforms.”
April 13, 2014
Ellen’s Interview with WWE Star Nominated for GLAAD Award
The episode of "The Ellen Degeneres Show" featuring an interview with WWE star Darren Young has been nominated for Outstanding Talk Show episode at this year's GLAAD Media Awards.
There will be a ceremony taking place for the awards on May 3rd in New York City.
February 23, 2014
This Day In Wrestling History
Ring of Honor makes its debut. The show features Low Ki vs. Bryan Daniels vs. Christopher Daniels in the main event.
February 23, 2002
WWE NXT debuted on the SyFy Channel. The episode also doubled as the official WWE debut for Daniel Bryan, David Otunga, Wade Barrett, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, Darren Young and Michael Tarver.
February 23, 2010
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Labels: Daniel Bryan, Darren Young, David Otunga, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, Michael Tarver, ROH, Wade Barrett, Wrestling History, WWE NXT
December 28, 2013
WWE Tribute To The Troops Results
Big E Langston and Mark Henry defeated Ryback and Curtis Axel in the dark match.
* Daniel Bryan defeated Erick Rowan when Luke Harper and Bray Wyatt interfered. Vickie Guerrero re-started the match, leading to Bryan and CM Punk defeating Rowan and Harper by DQ when Wyatt interfered again. John Cena came out for the save. Vickie makes it a 6 man match. Cena's team wins when he hits the Attitude Adjustment on Harper.
* Cena gives a speech to the Troops. Cena chants and "yes!" chants filled the hanger.
* Darren Young and Titus O'Neil defeated 3MB.
* The Usos and Rey Mysterio defeated The Shield.
* Brie Bella won a Divas battle royal by eliminating AJ Lee.
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Labels: Bella Twins, CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Darren Young, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, John Cena, Rey Mysterio, The Shield, Titus ONeill, Vickie Guerrero, WWE Tribute to the Troops, Wyatt Family
November 10, 2013
Big Week for Luke Harper
Luke Harper became the first man ever to wrestle on RAW, SmackDown, Main Event and NXT in the same week. Harper lost to CM Punk on RAW this past Monday, lost to Daniel Bryan by DQ on SmackDown this past Friday, teamed with Erick Rowan and defeated The Prime Time Players on Main Event on Wednesday and defeated Kassius Ohno(in his last match) on this week's edition of NXT.
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Labels: CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Darren Young, Erick Rowan, Kassius Ohno, Luke Harper, Raw, SmackDown, Titus ONeill, Wrestling History, WWE Main Event, WWE NXT
October 3, 2013
Darren Young Says He Was "Terrified" To Come Out As Gay, Wanted To Take Boyfriend To WWE Events
Darren Young opens up to People in the Oct. 14 issue about his sexuality. Quotes from the article have surfaced online and it is revealed that the WWE Superstar was terrified to come out of the closet.
“I was terrified of losing friends, losing my job, just everything,” Young said. “I had no idea what would happen if I came out.”
Young's decision to come out was not an easy one. Family and close friends found out two years ago while he was competing on WWE NXT, but he continued to live a troubling "double life."
Young explained that he was "tired of hiding" and that he "wanted to be able to take [boyfriend of two years Niccolo 'Nick' Villa] with me to WWE functions." He also wanted to be able to go out to dinner without looking over his shoulder, hold hands in public, and do other things heterosexual couples do without hesitation.
Young, who's real name is Fredrick Douglas Rosser III, went public on Aug. 15 in an impromptu airport interview with a TMZ cameraman. The WWE Superstar, however, immediately second-guessed the decision.
“It was spur of the moment, and I said what I said and I was confident. But when I left, I said to myself, "What the hell did I just do?" Young said. "I went straight to my hotel room and I was sick as a dog, throwing up and crying. I was terrified of how people would perceive me."
Despite his fears, Young was greeted with support by not only the sports-entertainment organization's management and fans, but his colleagues as well.
"His sexual orientation never had anything to do with him as a person, and at the end of the day it shouldn't matter," said tag team partner Titus O’Nell.
“They all embraced me, and that was just shocking to me. I truly love them,” Young said. “It was such a relief. I’m not hiding anymore and I’m living the dream."
The issue officially hits newsstands on Friday. Click here for additional details.
September 11, 2013
Darren Young To Appear On “Ellen”
Darren Young, who recently made headlines after becoming the first openly gay member of the active WWE roster, will be a guest during the Season 11 premiere week of “Ellen,” hosted by Ellen Degeneres. Young will be appearing on Friday, September 13. Click here for more information.
August 15, 2013
WWE Superstar Darren Young Comes Out; Reaction From Triple H, Stephanie McMahon & WWE
WWE star Darren Young of the Primetime Players revealed he is gay during an interview with TMZ.com, becoming the first ever professional wrestler to publicly declare he was homosexual while working for a national pro wrestling company.
During the interview, Young was asked whether a gay wrestler could be successful in WWE. Young laughed and said, "Absolutely, look at me," and admitted he was gay and "happy."
In the interview, Young said it didn't think his orientation matter and asked the interviewer whether it changed the way that the interviewer thought of him.
"I'm happy to be who I am," said Young. "I'm comfortable with myself. I'm happy to be living my dream. I'm happy to be in LA for Summerslam. WWE."
"To be honest with you, I'm happy with myself. Some people might not like it. Some people will like it, but, I'm here to please myself. I'm here to be happy. It's very important I'm happy with myself."
Young said that he hoped to make a difference for others who might want to come out and said the sexual orientation of others shouldn't matter, but the person they are should be what matters.
Congratulations, @DarrenYoungWWE for living YOUR life, YOUR way. #proud - Triple H
Congratulations to @DarrenYoungWWE for being the first openly gay WWE Superstar! - Stephanie McMahon
On TMZ this morning, WWE Superstar Darren Young revealed to the WWE Universe that he is gay. WWE is proud of Darren Young for being open about his sexuality, and we will continue to support him as a WWE Superstar. Today, in fact, Darren will be participating in one of our Be A STAR anti-bullying rallies in Los Angeles to teach children how to create positive environments for everyone regardless of age, race, religion or sexual orientation. - Statement from WWE
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February 23, 2013
This Day In Wrestling History
Ring of Honor makes its debut. The show features Low Ki vs. Bryan Daniels vs. Christopher Daniels in the main event.
February 23, 2002
WWE NXT (now called NXT Wrestling) debuted on the SyFy Channel. The episode also doubled as the official WWE debut for Daniel Bryan, David Otunga, Wade Barrett, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, Darren Young and Michael Tarver.
February 23, 2010
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Labels: Christopher Daniels, Daniel Bryan, Darren Young, David Otunga, FCW, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, Low-Ki, Michael Tarver, ROH, Wade Barrett, Wrestling History, WWE NXT
January 29, 2013
Participants for WWE Intercontinental Cup
During last night's WWE Raw it was announced that an Intercontinental Cup tournament will take place on Wednesday's episode of Main Event. The following participants have been announced:
The Miz
Kofi Kingston
Darren Young
Antonio Cesaro
Dolph Ziggler
Cody Rhodes
Damien Sandow
Randy Orton
The winner will get a shot at Wade Barrett.
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Labels: Antonio Cesaro, Cody Rhodes, Damien Sandow, Darren Young, Dolph Ziggler, Kofi Kingston, Randy Orton, The Miz, Wade Barrett, WWE Main Event
September 29, 2012
Booker T Announces Tag Team Tournament
Team Hell No’s first defense of the WWE Tag Team Championships on a pay-per-view will happen Oct. 28 at WWE Hell in a Cell, but Kane & Daniel Bryan will have to wait a little while longer before finding out who their opponents will be.
Thanks to an earth-shattering announcement by General Manager Booker T on the Sept. 28 edition of SmackDown, the No. 1 contenders to the WWE Tag Team Champions will be determined via an eight-team tournament that will play out over the next several weeks.
WWE’s tag team division is arguably the deepest it has been in years, and the tournament format will provide a natural process of attrition. Whether the winning pair will ultimately have the tools necessary to exploit the obvious fault lines in Team Hell No’s exterior, however, remains to be seen.
The bracket revealed on SmackDown showed the following first-round matchups: Team Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow) vs. Jimmy & Jey Uso; Santino Marella & Zack Ryder vs. Justin Gabriel & Tyson Kidd; former champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth vs. The Prime Time Players (Darren Young & Titus O’Neil); and Epico & Primo vs. Rey Mysterio & Sin Cara.
The newly formed unit of Rhodes & Sandow put away The Usos in the first bout of the tournament on the very same night it was set up. With one team down, seven duos remain in contention.
source: wwe.com
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Labels: Booker T, Cody Rhodes, Damien Sandow, Darren Young, Epico, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, Justin Gabriel, Kofi Kingston, Primo, R-Truth, Rey Mysterio, Santino Marella, Sin Cara, SmackDown, Titus ONeill, Tyson Kidd, Zack Ryder
August 27, 2012
WWE Superstars Comment & Speculate About Triple H Addressing His Future On Raw
Several WWE Superstars took to their Twitter accounts to speculate on what Triple H will say when he kicks off this Monday’s RAW from Milwaukee and address his WWE future. Here are their Tweets below:
Jerry Lawler: “Alotta buzz about what HHH might say tomorrow night on RAW. I sure hope The Game doesn’t decide to hang em’ up. CM Punk, respect = HHH.”
Alicia Fox: “Tweet tweet…. Counting down the hours until HHH tells the Universe that ‘his boots weren’t made to collect dust on a shelf’! #RawForAReason”
Layla: “Anyone as Anxious as I am to hear what HHH has to say tomorrow on #mondaynightRaw ???? #wwe ”
Mark Henry: “triple H is not washed up,all the talk has to stop about that. Only 8 men in this biz can argue they are better yes I’m one.”
Titus O’Neil: “Triple H will be live on #RAW 2address his career&Standing with @WWE Will he Retire?Request a Rematch with Brock Lesnar?Or something else..? @DarrenYoungWWE what do You think HHH will say tomorrow on #RAW ? I think after that Physical Fight with Brock,He Wants 2do it again!REMATCH”
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Labels: CM Punk, Darren Young, Divas, Jerry Lawler, Mark Henry, Raw, Titus ONeill, Triple H
October 6, 2011
Darren Young Suspended
In accordance with its Talent Wellness Program, WWE (NYSE:WWE) has suspended Fred Rosser (Darren Young™) for 30 days effective Wednesday, October 5 for his first violation of the company’s policy.
source: corporate.wwe.com
March 8, 2011
WWE NXT Season Five Details Revealed
Tonight's season five debut of WWE NXT will be called "NXT Redemption". Todd Grisham and William Regal will be the commentators, while Matt Striker and Maryse will host.
Former NXT names announced for season five:
* Titus O'Neil (Pro: Hornswoggle)
* Jacob Novak (Pro: JTG)
* Byron Saxton (Pro: Yoshi Tatsu)
* Lucky Cannon (Pro: Tyson Kidd)
* Connor O'Brien (Pro: Vladimir Kozlov)
* Darren Young (Pro: Chavo Guerrero)
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Labels: Byron Saxton, Chavo Guerrero, Conor OBrian, Darren Young, Hornswoggle, Jacob Novak, Lucky Cannon, Titus ONeill, Tyson Kidd, Vladimir Kozlov, WWE NXT, Yoshi Tatsu
March 3, 2011
Rumor Mill - Possible Plans for Season Five of NXT
According to a WWE source, season five of WWE NXT that begins next Tuesday (March 8) is slated to feature past rookies who didn't win on other seasons of the show. Names expected to participate includes: Lucky Cannon, Titus O'Neil, Byron Saxton, Conor O'Brian and Darren Young. Two other names are expected to be added to the roster. Previous discussion involved doing a season involving sons of former WWE stars. WWE has yet to confirm any new details about the next season of NXT.
source: wrestleview.com
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Labels: Byron Saxton, Conor OBrian, Darren Young, Lucky Cannon, Rumor Mill, Titus ONeill, WWE NXT
March 31, 2010
WWE NXT New Rookie Rankings
#1: Daniel Bryan
#2: Wade Barrett
#3: Justin Gabriel
#4: Heath Slater
#5: David Otunga
#6: Skip Sheffield
#7: Michael Tarver
#8: Darren Young
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Labels: Daniel Bryan, Darren Young, David Otunga, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, Michael Tarver, Skip Sheffield, Wade Barrett, WWE NXT
March 24, 2010
Win/Loss Records for the NXT Rookies
The WWE NXT Rookies will be evaluated by the Pros on next Tuesday night's show based on the criteria of win/loss records, strength of opponent, work ethic and "it" factor. Here are the current win-loss records of the NXT Rookies going into next week's voting by the Pros:
* Daniel Bryan - 0 wins, 5 losses
* Darren Young - 3 wins, 1 loss
* David Otunga - 3 wins, 1 loss
* Heath Slater - 4 wins, 0 losses
* Justin Gabriel - 3 wins, 1 loss
* Michael Tarver - 0 wins, 3 losses
* Skip Sheffield - 0 wins, 3 losses
* Wade Barrett - 2 wins, 2 losses
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Labels: Daniel Bryan, Darren Young, David Otunga, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, Michael Tarver, Skip Sheffield, Wade Barrett, WWE NXT
February 16, 2010
Cast of WWE NXT
WWE released the cast member information for the NXT television show, which begins next Tuesday night on Syfy. The eight developmental wrestlers listed first followed by the names of their main roster mentors.
Wade Barrett with Chris Jericho
Justin Gabriel with Matt Hardy
Skip Sheffield with MVP
Michael Tarver with Carlito
Daniel Bryan with The Miz
Heath Slater with Christian
Darren Young with C.M. Punk
David Otunga with R-Truth
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Labels: Daniel Bryan, Darren Young, David Otunga, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, Michael Tarver, Skip Sheffield, Wade Barrett, WWE NXT
Rumor Mill - Talent List for WWE NXT
Dave Scherer is reporting the following names are slated for WWE NXT which debuts next week on SyFy:
* Justin Angel
* Daniel Bryan
* Kaval
* Joe Hennig
* Skip Sheffield
* Brett DiBiase
* Darren Young
* Heath Slater
* Michael Tarver
The above rookies will be paired with a WWE veteran where they will compete to advance as a full-time member of either Raw or Smackdown. They will also be available to make crossover appearances on the main shows while competing. The original concept was to have eight teams but in this report there are nine listed.
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Labels: Brett DiBiase, Curtis Axel, Daniel Bryan, Darren Young, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, Kaval, Low-Ki, Michael McGillicutty, Michael Tarver, Rumor Mill, Ryback, Skip Sheffield, WWE NXT