Jake Atlas made history when he became the first openly gay man to be signed to WWE. despite this fact, Jake doesn't want to be known as “the gay wrestler.”
Jake is proud of how far he's come and although he doesn't want to be remembered strictly for his sexuality, he is looking forward to using his platform to share his story to help anyone else who may face the same struggles he faced.
One such struggle Atlas faced was the reaction of his mother when he first came out to her in his teenage years. Jake is now opening up about how that experience shaped his future and inspired him to accomplish something major in his life.
“I came out to my mom when I was 15,” said Atlas to People. “She cried because she was so disappointed. Today, I'm educating her and trying to understand her as well. That's the important part about acceptance – understanding each other so we can find common ground and move forward.”
I’m excited to share that my coming out story is featured in @people magazine’s ‘The Pride Issue 2020’ this week - out on newsstands today! pic.twitter.com/5RIqfrIWPF
— Jake Atlas (@iamjakeatlas) June 12, 2020
Jake also received praise from WWE’s Chief Branding Officer, Stephanie McMahon for being brave enough to share his story. The two first met during Stephanie's appearance on Undercover Boss two years ago.
Two years ago, I met one of the most influential figures in my life. Thank you for what you did for me & my family. I can’t wait to see you again soon. https://t.co/UerUWVd7kB
— Jake Atlas (@iamjakeatlas) June 13, 2020
Today, Jake Atlas is part of the NXT Cruiserweight division. Most recently, he made it all the way to the finals of Block A in the interim Cruiserweight Championship tournament before losing to Drake Maverick who would overall lose the tournament to El Hijo Del Fantasma, now known as Santos Escobar.
