Transgender WWE star Gabi Tuft has opened up about the moment she broke down in tears after a store clerk misgendered her.
The wrestler turned influencer explained how she was left feeling ‘crushed’ after the incident with a salesperson in 2020.
It took place on one of the first times Tutt, 45, decided to venture out dressed as as a woman and two months before she officially came out.
‘I bee-lined for my truck and cried for half an hour,’ Tuft told the San Francisco Chronicle. ‘I didn’t present (as) female for over a week — it crushed me.’
Tutt, who competed in the WWE as dreadlocked gladiator Tyler Reks, frequently shares images charting her transition.
Trans influencer Gabbi Tuft, who used to compete in WWE as Tyler Reks, shared she cried after a store clerk misgendered her
The upsetting incident took place in 2020, before Tuft had officially come out and on one of the first occasions she presented as female
In January that same year, she moved from 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.
Tuft revealed that she learned to use a gun shortly after moving to the state, receiving lessons from an Army member neighbor.
And in 2021, she decided to attend a New Years Eve party ‘in full presentation’ after being invited by the same neighbor.
‘I walked in the door and got a standing ovation,’ Tuft said.
While she acknowledged that her adoptive state has a bad reputation for trans rights, Tuft revealed that her experiences have markedly improved since the mall incident despite some online abuse.
The former wrestler also said her ability to get gender affirming procedures saved her life.
‘I would wake up every day feeling miserable, feeling like my life was incomplete,’ Tuft said. ‘And my heart breaks for every transgender human who is going through that.’
Tuft told how even as a child she would dress up in her mother’s clothes and gravitate towards girls toys.
Tuft’s wife Priscilla supported her transition, although the two are now in the process of separating
The influencer shared how she learned to handle a gun after moving to Texas
The 45-year-old was positive about her experiences in Texas, although recognized her wealth and privilege have allowed her to receive gender affirming procedures which have helped with the transition
But she buried her impulses after realizing they could get her in trouble. During puberty, she got into weightlifting and was scouted as a possible WWE star.
Tuft, performing as Reks, went on to have a career which spanned from 2008 to 2012, boasting appearances at Smackdown, Raw and Wrestlemania.
However, during the pandemic she was able to reflect on her gender identity and went on to transition.
‘I ask myself to this day, what made those feelings resurface at 36 years old,’ Tuft said. ‘And I haven’t been able to figure it out.’
Today, Tuft although in the process of splitting from her wife, runs a successful fitness business largely training women.
Priscilla has been supportive of Tuft’s transition and encouraged her to come out, while she remains close with Mia.
‘People will say, ‘You’re getting divorced, Gabbi,’ and yeah, the fairy-tale ending doesn’t always happen,’ Tuft said. ‘But I’m a successful businesswoman and I have a child who is well loved, and I am a trans woman.’
Tuft frequently shares insights into her transition, and hopes to be an example for other trans women.
Tuft frequently shares her journey as well as her fitness and lifestyle tips with her fans
She told how she buried her feminine impulses as a child, only for them to bubble up again during the pandemic, prompting her transition
Today the former wrestler has an active community of supporters and runs a successful fitness business
Tuft is open about her journey, sharing everything from videos of her recovery from facial feminization surgery and the effects of hormone therapy and midlife puberty.
She now has 124,000 followers on Instagram, and shares her journey as well as her fitness and lifestyle tips with her fans.
She has discussed everything from videos of her recovery from facial feminization surgery and the effects of hormone therapy and midlife puberty.
‘I understand what it feels like to walk out in public with no confidence, to fear what people might say or do or how they might look at you,’ Tuft said. ‘The solution is learning to love who you are on the inside. And we first must accept who we are.’
However, not all aspects of her transition have been smooth.
During the summer, Tuft revealed that she was missing WWE more than she anticipated and expressed disappointment that she was ‘blocked’ from going backstage at Smackdown at Madison Square Garden.
A representative for WWE told NYTimes that the issue was caused by a ‘shortage of tickets,’ but an exception still wouldn’t be made to go backstage.
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