WWE referee Shawn Bennett celebrated "National Coming Out Day" on Monday by announcing publically that he is gay.

Bennett has been signed to WWE as a referee since 2013, and took to his social media to announce the news to all his followers. Bennett reveals he has been "out" to friends and family for years, but this is the first time he has announced his sexuality publically.

Here is what he posted on Instagram:

Happy National Coming Out Day!

Oh yea, I’m gay.
There’s the answer to the question I get asked most on social media.

This should come as little surprise to those that know me, but I’ve never actually said it publicly before.

To put my life in perspective, I started refereeing at age 14. I did my best to suppress any and all homosexual thoughts before and after that for a long time. I once long term dated a woman and for a while, tried to live my life that way. I didn’t come to my own full realization about myself until early 20s. That’s when I knew it was the way of life that would make me happy. As cliche as it sounds, I feel I was born this way.

I came out to friends and family in my late twenties. That’s when I stopped hiding it, but would never put myself out there in anyway. People that knew, knew. People that asked, I would be truthful with. There are still important people in my life that I have never literally told.

I spent my first 10 years involved in pro wrestling terrified of my own sexuality. I was convinced that I would never be successful if people knew I was gay. Those were fears that I made up in my head.

Once I got to WWE, I would continue to keep to myself as much as possible. When discussing relationships around people that were not in my close circle, I would talk in a way that would hide the sex of whoever I was talking about. I would even pretend to be single when I wasn’t, just to avoid talking about my past partner.

I’ve lived my dream multiple times over since then and I feel more strongly about sharing myself with everyone now more than ever. The fact that I haven’t been public meant that I was still hiding behind a mask. This post takes a ton of weight off of my shoulders. This post crumbles the wall that I’ve had up for so long and removes the mask.

I’m proud of who I am, what I’ve accomplished, where my life is headed, and my way of life. Like everyone else, at the end of the day I just want to be happy, to give and receive love, both to myself and others.

Representation is important.
Always face your fears.
Always chase your dreams.
Above all, always be yourself.
It’s worth it.

Happy National Coming Out Day!

Oh yea, I’m gay.

Check @refbennett on Instagram for a much more thorough caption. It would mean a lot to me.

Representation is important.
Always face your fears.
Always chase your dreams.
Above all, always be yourself.
It’s worth it.
🏳️‍🌈❤️🏳️‍🌈 pic.twitter.com/3qrtqf5ZSt

, Shawn Bennett (@BennettWWE) October 11, 2021