Anthony Bowens Named ‘#1 Groundbreaker’ For Most Influential LGBTQ+ People

AEW

Congratulations go out to current AEW Trios Champion Anthony Bowens, who has been named the #1 Groundbreaker on Out.com’s 2023 Out100 list.

The list highlights the most impactful and influencial LGBTQ+ people around the world, with the Acclaimed member taking home the major honor.

Bowens became AEW’s first gay champion at AEW Grand Slam last year, when he and Max Caster captured the AEW World Tag Team Championship from Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland.

Bowens’ entry was accompanied by the following description:

Anthony Bowens is a professional wrestler with All Elite Wrestling and the reigning title holder — along with Max Caster and Billy Gunn — of the AEW World Trios Championship. It’s his proudest accomplishment of 2023.

“I have the honor of being AEW’s first gay champion when I won the tag-team title last year. But we got the gold back around our waist and I’m super excited about it,” Bowens says of his championship belt, just days after his win at London’s Wembley Stadium.

The New Jersey native, who has been active in professional wrestling since 2013, came out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community in 2017. He’s excelled in an arena with few out figures, which makes being part of the Out100 particularly impactful.

“There’s a time where I wasn’t out, I was in the closet, and I didn’t know how that would affect my career,” Bowens shares. “And part of wanting to come out was to help people who were in my shoes and to do that through my love of professional wrestling.”

Memorably in June, an arena of adoring fans cheered, “He’s gay!” in support of Bowens when a female reporter suggested he was hitting on her. Bowens is also the self-proclaimed “Scissor King.” His signature move is forming an A formation with his fingers and sometimes performing a scissor-shake with others in a sign of friendship, sparking a trend in wrestling and beyond.

Recently, Bowens cleared another remarkable hurdle: becoming a homeowner. The process was “the worst experience I’ve ever had in my entire life. I’m so glad it’s over with,” he says. But the reward of the American Dream was worth the struggle. “My boyfriend and I [are] very, very happy to be living here in Los Angeles now.” @bowens_official

Bowens, alongside partners Max Caster and Billy Gunn, is set to defend the AEW World Trios Championship against Daniel Garcia & 2point0 at AEW Battle of the Belts VIII.

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• out100
• Anthony Bowens
• lgbtq
• AEW

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