Daria Berenato has always been a fighter. It’s what she’s known for. Berenato is currently a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstar known as Sonya Deville, and is the first openly lesbian wrestler in WWE history. As part of a tag team with fellow wrestling superstar Mandy Rose on WWE’s “SmackDown Live,” Berenato is not afraid to be out and proud, because that’s who she is. It’s a philosophy she wants to pass on to the entire community: be yourself unapologetically. “Nothing is more important than living as the person that you can love, not who or what anyone else wants you to be,” Berenato says. “We have to be us because everyone else is already taken. There shouldn’t be pressure around your coming out. Take your time, do it when it feels right and safe for you, but know that doing so is a beautiful thing. Don’t allow the naysayers to put a negative connotation on such a beautiful experience.” That passion for helping people realize just how amazing they are is one of the reasons Berenato chose her career, which she loves as much as the queer community she represents. “The most rewarding aspect of my work is being able to do what I love and use that platform to spread love at the same time,” she tells GO. “I can genuinely say what I do doesn’t feel like work. I love what I do, and I’m grateful I can help in making this world a more inclusive place in the process.” —IL
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