The WWE has excluded star wrestler Darren Young from a tour of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) because he is openly gay.
According to a report in Frontiersmedia.com by Dominic Preston Young, who came out in 2013, criticized the wrestling organization for both excluding him and for choosing to host a tour in UAE in the first place, complaining in a since-deleted tweet:
“Why do we bring the best entertainment into a country [sic] like Abu Dhabi and they look down upon women and gays? I get it! #MillionsofDollars”
When news of the exclusion spread WWE issued a statement explaining that it had kept the wrestler off the tour for his own safety due to the country’s strict anti-gay laws and culture:
“WWE does not discriminate against individuals regardless of age, race, religion or sexual orientation, and we continue to proudly support Fred Rosser (aka WWE Superstar Darren Young) for being open about his sexuality.
Unfortunately, WWE cannot change cultures and laws around the world, and thus we did not send Fred Rosser to the United Arab Emirates for our upcoming events for his own protection.
WWE also fully supports Fred Rosser’s right to express his views on personal social media accounts rather than WWE’s corporate platforms.”
