All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star CM Punk turned heads on social media over the weekend after he spoke about supporting “trans kids” from the ring.
In the wrestler’s return to wrestling after an injury-induced hiatus on Saturday, he saw a sign from the crowd that read “Support LGBTQ+ Youth” and invited the sign’s holder into the ring with him. He then spoke for about two minutes.
“I don’t know what it feels like to be trapped in a body that I don’t feel I belong [in]. That is why I support that. Until I found pro-wrestling, and all the freaks and geeks in the locker room were just like me … Support trans kids, support for gays and lesbians,” Punk said.
CM PUNK SAID LGBTQ+ RIGHTS. HE SAID SUPPORT TRANS PEOPLE pic.twitter.com/LUj9zzsH4x
— abbi (@abbipaperbag) June 18, 2023
Joined by the tag team FTR, which comprises Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood, he held up the fan’s sign and mentioned his promotion of a company that sends proceeds to “support trans youth.”
“I reposted something for Pretty Cool Ice Cream. It was an ice cream bar that some of the proceeds, if you purchased a bar, went to support trans youth,” Punk told the audience. “I got a lot of hate for reposting that message.”
“Somebody … on the Internet said, why do you support that trash? And I thought about replying, but you can’t argue with stupid, okay? You just both look stupid.”
Punk concluded his remarks by saying, “I want everybody to be themselves. Just do no harm to everybody else. Thank you. I love you.”
Punk’s words sparked mixed reactions from fans on Twitter, with one person saying, “Even if you agree with him, just wrestle, entertain us. Who cares about your political view[?] [T]his is wrestling not CNN.”
This is why I don’t watch AEW. Why are they shoving this down our throats on live TV? Even if you agree with him, just wrestle, entertain us. Who cares about your political view this is wrestling not CNN. pic.twitter.com/hZSXSxDr5j
— BJ 😃 (@WWETalkTime3) June 18, 2023
Others supported Punk’s speech, bringing up the fact that his remarks came after the live TV show concluded. Another Twitter user pointed out that WWE had pushed LGBTQ issues on wrestling fans with a picture of WWE star Finn Baylor in front of an entourage of fans wearing Pride rainbow colors.
“This is why I don’t watch AEW. Why are they shoving it down our throats on live TV?” 🙄 pic.twitter.com/BBnZmoHQId
— Cactus Jackhausen (@CactusJackhause) June 18, 2023
The speech sparked a Twitter skirmish between AEW wrestler Brody King and retired WWE wrestler Dutch Mantel. Mantel criticized Punk for bringing “political issues on a wrestling show.” He also alluded to the controversies surrounding Bud Light and Target, which have both been impacted by conservative-led boycotts over their endorsement of trangenderism.
Is this a wise move…involving a political issues on a wrestling show? I guess the issue that @budlight and @target have had with the LGBTQ topic has not reached @AEW. This shot didn’t make the show but the still photo is there. Comments. @WSI_YouTube pic.twitter.com/5EIU3WvruD
— 𝔻𝕣. 𝔻𝕦𝕥𝕔𝕙 (@DirtyDMantell) June 19, 2023
King shared Mantel’s post and compared him to racists and sexists, calling the retiree an “old bag of s***.”
You probably thought it was a political issue when Black people and Women wanted equal rights too, you old bag of shit. https://t.co/ZvIJJOsPFS
— Big Bad Brody King (@Brodyxking) June 19, 2023
Punk is arguably AEW’s biggest star, having won two AEW World Championship titles since he joined the up-and-coming wrestling company in 2021. Punk previously performed for AEW’s established competitor, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), winning several championships before parting ways with the company in 2014.
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The speech comes amid several states passing protections against sex change drugs and surgeries being performed on minors — some of which have bipartisan support.