Gisele Shaw Discusses Using Her Impact Platform To Help The LGBTQ+ Community

While Gisele Shaw is best known for her work in Impact Wrestling, the most important work in her life is what she does away from the squared circle — in support of the LGBTQ+ community. Stopping by "Busted Open Radio" on Wednesday, Shaw, who is transgender, talked about the work she's been doing serving as co-ambassador for the Windsor-Essex Pride Fest two years in a row.

It's been a huge honor for Shaw to have been chosen — and also one she was uneasy about — as she had only come out herself at Pride Toronto back in June 2022. She revealed she was at first determined to not talk about gender with people, determined to make it on the merits of her performance until she saw how her position in Impact could help her make a difference.

"For me to inspire people, I need to accept myself, first and foremost," Shaw said. "So I think that was so important, for me, to tell my story. I never really wanted ... to me, the whole ambassador thing, it was like 'Hey, I just wanted to show my support,' and stuff and whatever. And they go 'Oh my gosh, you would be a perfect person for this.' And I go 'Oh, okay, cool.' Because, with the platform, like I said, it has such huge reach."

"Inspiring people, educating people ... I have that voice that people normally wouldn't have had. So to do it two years in a row," she added, "it's just amazing, and to do it in my hometown ... you know, I'm really new here as well, in Windsor, Ontario. It's just been two years since I've been living here. It's just incredible. It's so incredible. And I do love helping people ... Gisele the person is all about giving back and 'What can I do to help people?'"

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription