Pro wrestler kisses his boyfriend in front of homophobic protestors to “stand up against hate”

An out professional wrestler had the best response to extreme anti-LGBTQ protestors: kiss a boy in front of them.

All Elite Wrestling star Anthony Bowens, 30, posted a picture to his Instagram yesterday in front of signs held by protestors that said, “Trump, Make America Great Again: Ban Homo Marriage” and “HOMOS GO TO HELL.”

Related: Two women kiss in front of anti-gay street preacher as crowd applauds

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In the picture, Bowens kissed his boyfriend, Michael Pavano, in front of the protestors.

“#Standup against hate,” he wrote in the caption.

His fans were supportive, commenting “Love never needs an explanation” and “The sign people are already in hell and don’t know it.”

 

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A post shared by Anthony Bowens (@bowens_official)

Bowens came out in 2017 as bisexual and in 2019 as gay. He and Pavano have a YouTube channel together.

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“I’ve loved pro wrestling ever since I was 5 years old and I didn’t want my experience ruined because of other wrestlers thinking I got into it for the wrong (sexual) reasons,” Bowens wrote when he first came out. “The ring is my sanctuary, where nothing else matters. I couldn’t bear to think that if I came out, I’d spend most of my time worrying if the person I was wrestling was uncomfortable and didn’t want to work with me.”

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