Kenny Omega is one of the most popular professional wrestlers on the planet at this point and his fanbase comes from all walks of life. His recent reunion with Kota Ibushi to reform the Golden Lovers tag team was a long time coming and they have received an amazing reception, especially from the LGBT community.
The Cleaner recently spoke to Yahoo Sports about the acceptance they’ve received from the LGBT community and Omega doesn’t mind it one bit. In fact, he’s very good with it because Being The Elite and the pro wrestling he represents accepts everyone.
“Let people think what they want to think. If LGBT people can identify with our story, if they think ‘The Golden Lovers are my team,’ I’m good with that. It’s the story of two wrestlers who shared dreams on their way up, who became fast friends, who are now reuniting at the top of their game.”
Kenny Omega and WWE haven’t had many dealings with each other except for rumor and innuendo. But it doesn’t sound like The Cleaner will be going to Vince McMahon and Company anytime soon. After all, Kenny Omega might not feel too welcomed with a portion of the WWE fanbase who chastises instead of cheers him.
“I think it’s important to show in the 21st century that if you’re gay, lesbian, trans, whatever, that you should feel just as welcome to be a wrestling fan as anyone else. You’re welcome in the space. I do get some stupid messages on Twitter from homophobic people and they’re usually WWE fans, which kind of drives things home. In WWE, a gay person is usually portrayed like some sort of comedy act to be mocked and laughed at. The world’s not like that anymore. Everyone should feel welcome to the show.”
As WWE continues to solidify their stance on being a socially conscious company, they really need to consider what kind of effect their booking can have on individuals. Maybe in the future, there will be a homosexual character treated differently, but as Omega pointed out there are some bumps to iron out in the meantime.
