Gisele Shaw hopes to one day live in a world free of intolerance, but until then, the Impact Wrestling star believes it is important that she sees online negativity.
Shaw came out as transgender last year and has received a ton of support from her peers and fans, but has also received some negative responses.
Speaking to Denise Salcedo, Shaw recalled Impact offering to block negative comments and why she turned this offer down. She said,
“It’s something that I actually had to learn how to deal with. Because no matter if it’s a positive or negative comment, I see it all online. And Impact did say, ‘Hey you know we can block those so you don’t have to see it.’ I think for me it’s so important that I see those because those are – it’s a part of me to grow and be like, ‘You know what, those comments, they shouldn’t affect me.
“At the end of the day, no matter who you are, no matter what you are, people are going to say something no matter what. Because somewhere, someone out there is very unhappy, or they just want to stay relevant, or they want to be in the conversation to feel like they’re included. Whatever they do doesn’t reflect what I do, and that’s something that I had to learn and be like, ‘You know what? It’s not me, it’s them.’
“What we need to do as people is – you just have to talk about situations. Have uncomfortable conversations, because those are the most important conversations that we should have. That’s what makes us grow as people and move forward, and to really understand certain situations no matter what that is. Sometimes if we don’t talk, we’re never gonna get anywhere. I think that’s the most important thing, is to listen and comprehend.”
Shaw was harassed by Rick Steiner earlier this year at WrestleCon which resulted in Bron Breakker saying his father’s comments and actions do not reflect his own views.
Earlier this month, it was announced that Shaw will be teaming with fellow Impact star Gail Kim to compete on the ninth season of The Amazing Race Canada.
