"All these years, I had to hide."From: NewNowNext
Former WWE champion Pat Patterson discussed his career and sexuality in an interview with Newsweek, timed to the release of his memoir, Accepted: How the First Gay Superstar Changed WWE.
Patterson won the World Wide Wrestling Federation’s first Intercontinental championship back in 1979 but didn’t come out publicly until 2014, when he was working closely with WWE CEO Vince McMahon in post-professional retirement.
Asked if he ever experienced homophobia anywhere in the industry during his career, Patterson says “Never.”
“My whole life in the business, years and years, I’ve wrestled just about everybody in the business. I’ve never had a problem,” he said. “I turned out to be so good that they liked to wrestle with me because I made them look good. I had a reputation for being a good guy and friendly with everybody.”
Though he said there were plenty in the industry who knew or suspected he was gay, “the word ’gay or ’queer’ was never brought up.”
“Of course, I hid it too,” Patterson added.
“I didn’t want anybody to know I was gay. All these years, I had to hide. I traveled all over the country. A lot of guys had girlfriends here, girlfriends there, but I was too afraid to go to a gay bar. I had to wear a hat so I wouldn’t be seen. I hid for years. I kept saying to myself, ’One of these days, I’ve got to come out.’ That’s what I did on Legends’ House. I feel like I’m free now after all these years of hiding.”
Patterson doesn’t discuss what compelled him to stay closeted publicly for so long, but acknowledges it’s “a lot easier” for professional athletes to come out nowadays.
“People are more accepting now,” he said. “[Current WWE Superstar] Darren Young, I didn’t even know he was gay… I was surprised when he came out.”
“If you’re a performer, you’re a performer… gay or straight, it doesn’t matter. It’s no different than being a singer. If you perform really well, the fans will love you. It’s entertainment, if you go out there and give your best, that’s all that matters.”
Accepted: How the First Gay Superstar Changed WWE is out now.
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