Sonya Deville being WWE’s currently only open lesbian on their roster creates a lot of eyes on her to represent an entire community. She seems to be willing to do just that. She recently spoke with Allure in regards to her publicly coming out, her identity, and the women’s evolution. From this, she also spoke on potential future storylines in WWE representing the LGBTQ community.
WWE has always structured itself around its characters and the storylines that have stemmed from them. Some of the characters have involved one’s ethnicity, culture, race, or even although rarely, sexual orientation. In fact, it has been 17 years since fans have witnessed an almost gay commitment ceremony.
The Billy and Chuck storyline that broke the norm ended up a shattered reality. It came to screeching halt when they both admitted at their commitment ceremony that they weren’t actually gay, much to Rico’s dismay. Fans knew that they weren’t truly homosexual, but didn’t necessarily think this is how the storyline would end. Now that gay marriage has been legal in the United States since 2015 times are different then they were in 2002.
Deville has a positive outlook that LGBTQ storylines can be done within WWE and done the correct way. Her being an authentic gay representation can paint a better picture then what prior storylines have developed.
She had the following to say:
“I’ve been talking with GLAAD and WWE over the past two years and really have developed a great relationship between the three of us,” she tells Allure. “I am a firm supporter and believer that it’s important to have that inclusion in our programming in the right, most appropriate, tasteful way.”
“I realized, and I think I learned this at a young age, that anything that’s worth anything, you’re going to take a risk to get there and it’s not going to be easy,” she adds. “If you’re getting hate along the way I think that means that you’re doing something right and that you’re creating change.”
Deville admits that doing this would be putting her in the forefront and the self-proclaimed guinea pig and she is okay with that.
She continues, “By doing this, yeah, I would be putting myself out there and I would be almost like the guinea pig for this kind of revolution. But I am willing to do something like that to make a social change and to really pioneer this movement in the right direction. Somebody has to do it, right?”
The company has been scrutinized in the past for its portrayals on certain demographics. Let’s be honest, there will always be someone, somewhere, who isn’t happy. Even WWE’s most recent pride representation campaign by its superstars in June (Pride month) was met with mixed reactions. Many people felt that this was some sort of pandering. Change doesn’t happen unless something moves it forward.
Regardless of what side you fall on this topic, it is clear that Sonya continues to push forward with a vision. She continues to represent the LGBTQ community every time she heads down to the ring and that alone is more exposure than before.
To see the rest of Sonya’s interview you can check out the article on Allure’s website.
What are your thoughts on this interview? Do you ever see a better representation of the LGBTQ community in WWE? Discuss your thoughts in the comment section below.
