WWE Star Gabbi Tuft Has Come Out as Transgender

From Men's Health

Retired professional wrestler Gabbi Tuft came out as a transgender woman this week, sharing her identity with the world in a moving open letter to her fans on social media on Thursday.

"This is me. Unashamed, unabashedly me," Tuft wrote in her announcement on Instagram on Friday. "This is the side of me that has hidden in the shadows, afraid and fearful of what the world would think; afraid of what my family, friends, and followers would say or do. I am no longer afraid and I am no longer fearful. I can now say with confidence, that I love myself for WHO I am."

Tuft went on to describe the dark period she went through before she was able to come to terms with her gender identity, and the soul-searching it took before making the decision to live as her true self in public.

"The emotional turmoil of being transgender and having to face the world has almost ended me on multiple occasions," she said. "However, the day I stopped caring about what other people thought, was the day I truly became limitless and allowed my authentic self to come into the light."

She thanked her wife Priscilla, her family, and their friends for their love and acceptance, and since the post went up, fans have been inundating her with their own messages of support online.

"I got nothing but love & support for my friend," wrote wrestler and promoter Brian Myers, while others have said they are "proud" of her and "overjoyed" that she now feels able to openly. One fan even described her as their "new favorite WWE alumni."

"The incredible outpouring of support from thousands of people I’ve never met is an illustration of just how much love there is in this world," said Tuft in a follow-up post on Friday. "You have reaffirmed what I already knew, which is that we as humans truly are beings of love and light... Thank you for seeing my heart."

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