Transgender WWE star Gabbi Tutt, 45, reveals the moment she broke down in tears when store clerk misgendered her and how she learned to use a handgun after moving from San Francisco to anti-LGBTQ Texas
Transgender WWE star Gabi Taft has revealed the moment she burst into tears after a store clerk misgendered her.
The wrestler-turned-influencer explained how she felt “devastated” after an incident with a salesperson in 2020.
It was one of the first times Tutt, 45, decided to go out in women’s clothing, two months before she officially announced it.
“I ran to my truck and cried for half an hour,” Taft told the publication. Chronicles of San Francisco. “I haven’t identified myself as a woman for over a week—it crushed me.”
Tutt, who competed in WWE as dreadlocked gladiator Tyler Rex, often shares photos showing her transition.
Trans influencer Gabby Taft, who used to compete in WWE under the name Tyler Rex, said she cried after a store clerk misgendered her.
The sad incident occurred in 2020, even before Taft officially came out and in one of the first cases she identified herself as a woman.
In January of that year, she moved from San Francisco to Austin, Texas, one of the least welcoming states for LGBTQ+ people.
In January 2020, she and her wife Priscilla, along with their daughter Mia, moved from San Francisco to Austin, Texas, one of the least welcoming states for LGBTQ+ people.
Taft said she learned to use a gun soon after moving to the state, receiving lessons from a neighbor who was in the military.
And in 2021, she decided to attend the New Year’s party “in full force” at the invitation of the same neighbor.
“I walked in the door and got a standing ovation,” Taft said.
While she acknowledged that her adopted state has a poor reputation for transgender rights, Taft said her experience has noticeably improved since the mall incident, despite some online abuse.
The former wrestler also said her ability to undergo gender confirmation procedures saved her life.
“Every day I woke up feeling miserable, feeling like my life was incomplete,” Taft said. “And my heart breaks for every transgender person who goes through this.”
Taft described how, as a child, she would dress up in her mother’s clothes and gravitate towards girls’ toys.
Taft’s wife Priscilla supported her transition, although they are now in the process of separating.
The influencer explained how she learned to handle guns after moving to Texas.
The 45-year-old spoke positively about her experience in Texas, although she acknowledged that her wealth and privilege allowed her to undergo gender-affirming procedures that helped with her transition.
But she buried her impulses, realizing that they could get her into trouble. During puberty, she took up weightlifting and was seen as a possible WWE star.
Taft, performing as Rex, went on to have a career that lasted from 2008 to 2012, appearing on Smackdown, Raw and Wrestlemania.
However, during the pandemic, she was able to reflect on her gender identity and transitioned.
“I still ask myself what caused these feelings to surface at 36 years old,” Taft said. “And I couldn’t understand it.”
Today, although he is in the process of separating from his wife, Taft runs a successful fitness business, primarily training women.
Priscilla supported Taft’s transition and encouraged her to come out while she remained close to Mia.
“People will say, ‘You’re getting a divorce, Gabby,’ and yeah, fairytale endings don’t always happen,” Taft said. “But I’m a successful businesswoman, I have a very loved child, and I’m a trans woman.”
Taft often shares her thoughts about her transition and hopes to be an example for other trans women.
Taft often shares her journey, as well as fitness and lifestyle tips, with her fans.
She described how she buried her feminine impulses as a child, but they flared up again during the pandemic, prompting her to transition.
Today, the former wrestler has an active community of supporters and runs a successful fitness business.
Taft has been open about her journey, sharing everything from videos of her recovery from facial feminization surgery to the effects of hormone therapy and midlife puberty.
She now has 124,000 followers on Instagram and shares her journey as well as fitness and lifestyle tips with her fans.
She discussed everything from videos about her recovery from facial feminization surgery to the effects of hormone therapy and midlife puberty.
“I understand what it’s like to go out in public without confidence, to be afraid of what people might say or do or how they might look at you,” Taft said. “The solution is to learn to love yourself for who you are on the inside. And first we have to accept who we are.”
However, not all aspects of her transition were smooth.
Over the summer, Taft revealed she missed WWE more than she expected and expressed disappointment that she “wasn’t allowed” to go backstage at Smackdown at Madison Square Garden.
A WWE spokesperson told the NYTimes that the issue was due to a “shortage of tickets,” but there still won’t be an exception for backstage access.