What does it truly mean for a celebrity to “Come out of the closet” in the year 2013? I mean are they doing it for the general public or are they doing it for themselves? I pose this question on the day that WWE star Darren Young tells a conniving TMZ journalist with an Irish accent that he is indeed a homosexual while at the baggage claim of an airport. Wait hold on, let me backtrack a little. Maybe the first thing I should have said is that before today I had no idea who Darren Young was. Now I’ll know him as “the gay wrestler.” In a very similar fashion before Orlando Cruz came out of the closet I had no idea who he was but now I know him as “the gay boxer.” The latter is probably more noteworthy because I am an avid boxing fan but I will use the former to illustrate my point. In his coming out video Darren Young answered the question of did he think a gay wrestler could be successful in the WWE to which Young replied; “Absolutely look at me…I’m a WWE superstar and to be honest with you I’m gay and I’m happy.” Then the interviewer goes into this routine where he acts like he’s shocked. If anything he’s “flabbergasted”, as he said, because Mr. Young actually told him his personal business. It wasn’t because he didn’t already know that Young was gay before he met him at the airport to ask him that question. Are we to believe that TMZ always asks male professional athletes about their sexual preferences or did the gossip site have a little inside information?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjMHjuET8iM]
At any rate I wanted to discuss the idea of happiness as it relates to gay celebrities. Darren Young stated that he was happy and to his credit he does look very happy in the interview. With that being said it’s hard for me to believe that he is somehow happier now that he’s admitted to some dude who works for TMZ that he’s gay. I think it’s important that any one who is gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning to tell their family and friends about what they are experiencing and who they really are on the inside. In essence I do understand the need for a gay person to come out of the closet, however, in the case of many celebrities it’s not a matter of them being in the closet at all, it’s just a matter of whether or not they want to tell millions of strangers what they prefer in the bedroom.
I’m sure Darren Young has done whatever he wants sexually with whom ever he wants for a very long time so why should that impact his professional life in any way shape or form? I honestly think that his life will be a lot worse now. What I mean by that is before some guy from TMZ put him on the spot after waiting for him in the baggage claim of an airport and asked him a question that he already knew the answer to he was able to create his own public image, now he will be dubbed “the gay wrestler” for all eternity.
I can see how the interview will benefit TMZ, I can see how it will help launch the career of the mystery man behind the camera, but I don’t see how this will make Darren Young’s life any better.
So what do you think? Drop a few lines below.
-YB