(Image via GT)

Wrestler Anthony Bowens covers Gay Times, talking at length about his recent second coming-out, this time as gay and not bi ...

The handsome jock says:

“Around six or seven months ago, I was developing a new wrestling character, so I started to go over all the media work I’ve done over the past couple of years, and each article would describe me as ‘the bisexual pro wrestler’ and at the time, when I first came out two years ago, I felt that label was what closest represented me. Reading it in the current day, it just didn’t seem to fit anymore. As the months went on, I started to feel a lot stronger about that label.”

“It was a bit scary at first, because I had spent the previous two years in some pretty major publications defending the label bisexuality, so I didn’t know how people were going to react. I didn’t want them to think I was turning my back on anything, but I did want people to understand that as you get older your views of the world and your
views of yourself change, I’m sure anybody who’s looked back on their younger self, they can all recognise a difference in the way they think, and I definitely notice a difference. The closest thing that I want to be referred to as now is gay.”

“Even if people react negatively, I still know that I’m representing people and helping them be themselves, so I just look at the greater picture.”

Although he IDs as gay now, he hasn't forgotten the biphobia he experienced from gay people when he was proclaiming himself bi:

“That was probably one of the biggest issues I saw when I originally came out as bisexual, I was expecting a negative reaction from people who identify as heterosexual, but I really didn’t get any of that, most of the negative stuff I saw was from people in the LGBTQ community arguing with each other over labels, over gay vs. bisexual, which really confused me.”

“Before I came out I wasn’t very caught up on LGBTQ issues, so it took me by surprise and I was kind of disappointed because I thought, ‘This isn’t why I came out, for people to argue over labels. I came out to help people.’”

“We get judged by so many people in this world, so to take that judgement and turn it around on somebody within the community who’s already struggling with other issues, when they’re looking for support, I think that’s horrible.”

Pre-sales here! The issue itself is out January 31.