Just Treat Me For Who and What I Am

Eight years ago yesterday, Joanie Laurer became the first (and to date, only) female WWE Intercontinental Champion.

It's funny when I think about her. Not ha-ha funny, but a very sad funny. I idolized her at a time in my life in which I was very lost and confused as to who I was and when I was very easily defeated. Chyna influenced me because she overcame adversity, both real and fictional, and was celebrated for being different among her peers. I even did my eighth grade History Day project on her because the theme was Pioneers in History. Other kids did their projects on Bill Gates, Albert Einstein, and Susan B. Anthony. I did mine on the Ninth Wonder of the World.

Of course, Chyna later became a caricature of herself, and left the WWE in 2001. It is debatable whether or not she is better known for her accomplishments in wrestling or for the deformed genitalia she put on display in an ill-advised sex tape. She may not have been able to conquer her demons, but she became a very unlikely inspiration for a gawky, misguided gay 14-year-old to conquer his.