For generations, professional wrestling has existed at a crossroads of sport, theater, and raw performance art. It’s a world where bodies clash, identities are heightened, and storytelling is woven through choreography and charisma. But despite wrestling’s flamboyant history—sequins, camp, bravado, and all—mainstream narratives have often overlooked one of its most essential truths: wrestling has always been, quietly and not-so-quietly, profoundly queer.
The documentary Out in the Ring, directed by Ryan Bruce Levey, peels back this overlooked history and shines a spotlight on LGBTQ+ wrestlers who shaped the industry long before the world was ready to acknowledge them. More than a sports doc, it is an excavation of lineage—one that honors trailblazers, celebrates today’s queer wrestling renaissance, and challenges the industry to reckon with its past.
The Hidden Queer Foundations of Wrestling
Long before the cameras rolled and pyrotechnics exploded in arenas, wrestling in North America thrived in carnivals and burlesque-adjacent entertainment circuits. Theatrics were baked into the form—exaggerated characters, dramatic feuds, gender play, and humor that bordered on drag performance. In that world, queer performers carved out spaces for themselves through coded personas, flamboyant gimmicks, and subtle in-ring storytelling.
Names like Gorgeous George in the 1940s and ’50s helped redefine the presentation of wrestling. His effeminate mannerisms, satin robes, and deliberate theatrics influenced generations of performers, even as cultural norms forced queer wrestlers to mask their identities and lean into stereotypes for safety.
But behind these personas were real people—athletes hiding their relationships, policing their mannerisms, and navigating an industry that frequently positioned queer identity as a punchline or a villainous trope.
What Out in the Ring Reveals
Levey’s documentary amplifies the voices of the wrestlers who lived that experience—both closeted veterans and out-and-proud modern performers who are reshaping the sport for today’s audiences. The documentary dives into:
- The struggles of queer wrestlers during eras when being openly LGBTQ+ could mean losing bookings, fans, or even personal safety.
- The evolution of queer-coded gimmicks, and how some characters weaponized homophobic tropes while others subverted them.
- The rise of inclusive independent scenes like EFFY’s Big Gay Brunch, where LGBTQ+ performers take center stage without compromise.
- The intersection of identity and performance, showing how wrestling has become—for many—a vehicle for self-expression, empowerment, and community.
The film excels in threading archival footage with heartfelt interviews, revealing how the queer experience within wrestling has shifted from subtext to center stage.
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The Modern Queer Wrestling Renaissance
Today, wrestling is undergoing a cultural transformation. LGBTQ+ performers are not only visible but celebrated. Stars like EFFY, Dark Sheik, Sonny Kiss, Edith Surreal, and Parrow have helped redefine what wrestling can look like, breaking beyond the narrow confines of toxic masculinity and traditional hero-villain archetypes.
Their presence—and the communities they’ve built—stand on the shoulders of performers who came before them. Out in the Ring captures that lineage beautifully, reminding viewers that queer people weren’t simply adjacent to wrestling’s evolution; they were instrumental to it.
Why This Documentary Matters
Wrestling has always been about storytelling, identity, and transformation—all inherently queer experiences. By documenting LGBTQ+ perspectives, Out in the Ring reclaims a history too often erased, ignored, or caricatured. It invites both fans and newcomers to re-examine wrestling’s cultural significance through a richer, more inclusive lens.
For queer viewers, the film validates something long felt but rarely spoken: wrestling’s pageantry, melodrama, and expressive physicality have always mirrored aspects of queer culture. For the industry, the documentary serves as both celebration and challenge—acknowledging progress while calling for continued change in representation, safety, and storytelling.
A New Era in the Squared Circle
What emerges from Out in the Ring is a portrait of an art form in evolution. Wrestling’s queer past is no longer a footnote—it’s a foundational chapter. And as queer wrestlers continue to redefine the medium with authenticity, innovation, and unapologetic pride, the future of wrestling looks more vibrant and inclusive than ever.
Whether you’re a lifelong fan, a casual viewer, or completely new to wrestling, Out in the Ring offers a compelling, emotional, and culturally vital exploration of the LGBTQ+ stories that shaped an entire industry.