Lesbian Wrestling League (Series Book 1)

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The image of Deville running through a Pride celebration on Total Divas exclaiming “I’m gay” is a GIF that plays on repeat in the minds of many (including me). The excitement in her voice perfectly matched with the joy on her face is both a landmark and an image that no one with knowledge of any mainstream pro wrestling programming from 1995 onward ever thought they would see. What was it like for you coming up and cutting your teeth in an era when women’s wrestling was so sexualized? Australia’s favorite pro wrestler/charitable adult content creator stepped away from pro wrestling midway through the year, but he went out on top. After successfully defending his Southern Hemisphere Wrestling Alliance championship in March, Marshall left the pro wrestling world as champion. If this is it, Marshall definitely left his mark on the Aussie wrestling scene and continues advocating for LGBTQ inclusion through his OnlyFans account.

Winning a championship in your first match is somewhat of a rarity in pro wrestling, but that accomplishment was just one first for Lyzbeth McHellin. In her first match since transitioning, McHellin became the first trans woman to wrestle in Quebec and win a title when she captured the La Lutte C Vrai Women’s championship in July. The significance of that role isn’t lost on Deville, as her push for authentic LGBTQ representation and visibility within WWE remains a goal seven years after her first appearance on WWE programming.Obviously, still existing in the midst of a global pandemic complicated things when different regions of the globe afforded different amounts of in-ring time to its performers. I sincerely hope this is the last year where the virus becomes a weighing factor in how the QWI is constructed (get your vax and booster!).

From deathmatch to lucha libre, comedy to catch, tekkers to all-out hoss brawls, every single aspect or style of pro wrestling built its rainbow family. Established stars reached new peaks, and rookies who drew inspiration from those spreading the message of pride started their own journeys.

While not a WWE Superstar, Ernie Roth was a manager during the early days of the WWE (then the WWWF or World Wide Wrestling Federation) known as The Grand Wizard of Wrestling. You could say he was Paul Heyman before Paul Heyman was Paul Heyman (Um…yeah I think I got that right). He was also one of the pioneers of the dirt bag manager role who would try to interfere in matches to alter the outcomes for their protégé. Though the LGBTQ pro wrestling movement has shed light on many LGBTQ identities, there are still very few out trans masculine or trans men grapplers. Eros is a figure that breaks that trend every time he steps into the ring in his native Spain. As a regular at Rage Wrestling and Resist Pro Wrestling, Eros wears his Pride while proving that every facet of the rainbow family is present in pro wrestling.