Professional wrestler Darren Young (31) talks about how his life has changed since coming out and his advice to others in the same position.

WWE Superstar Darren Young (real name Fred Rosser) wrote a piece for The Huffington Post, speaking about what he has learned since coming out as gay in 2013. Young opened up about his sexuality last year, when he was approached and filmed by a TMZ videographer while leaving an airport.

“I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, and life has been good to me. I perform for the greatest company in the world, WWE, and I’m happily in love with my partner, Nicki. He makes me smile, supports me in everything I do and keeps me grounded,” he writes.

“It was the final step on the journey to self-acceptance, and I’m glad I can say now that I truly love myself. I’ve grown so much as a person over the past year, and I hope that sharing my experience will encourage others to follow their own path.

“People who are struggling with coming out often ask me for advice, and, in my opinion, the best first step you can take is coming out to those who are closest to you. The most painful experience was hiding my true self from those I loved. I can honestly say that coming out to my inner circle was the best thing I’ve ever done.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjMHjuET8iM

Since coming out, Young has worked with several anti-bullying campaigns organised by GLAAD and NOH8, and writes that he is hopeful about full equality for the LGBT community in the future.

“I don’t expect everyone to embrace equality overnight, but we are making great progress,” he said, “Coming out has instilled in me a sense of confidence that I’ve never felt before, and I’m happy to have full control over my life without fear of disapproval. I don’t need people in my life to bring me down.”

After coming out, WWE released an official statement saying that it was “proud of Darren Young for being open about his sexuality.” Young also received an outpour of support from other wrestlers in the WWE universe. Many stars tweeted their congratulations.

Darren Young is the first openly gay WWE superstar. However, earlier this year WWE legend Pat Patterson (73)  also revealed that he was gay.