David Yost

Almost 20 years after back-flipping onto kids’ TV sets as the nerdy Blue Ranger on Fox’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, David Yost opened up to No Pink Spandex  about his stint on the show. And during the three-part interview, Yost revealed just what happened behind-the-scenes when his character was written off the show (and sent to live on another planet): Yost actually walked off set one day after being teased about being gay.
“The reason that I walked off is that I was called ‘faggot’ one too many times,” Yost says in the clip. “I had just heard that several times while working on the show from creators, producers, writers, directors… Basically I just felt like i was continually being told I was not worthy of being where I am because I’m a gay person. And I’m not supposed to be an actor. And I’m not a superhero.”
After leaving the show, Yost says he experienced a nervous breakdown. But he’s been doing just fine since then, working behind the camera as a producer for reality TV shows like Temptation Island. Still, the fact that such intolerance might have taken place on set of Power Rangers kind of kills the nostalgic buzz we all have for the show, no?
from Entertainment Weekly

Bake Hayes

NEW YORK – A West Side gay bashing has turned into an international incident with the NYPD in England tracking down the suspect – a Bronze Star recipient.
One of the victims, Blake Hayes, a 24-year-old deejay for WPLJ-FM radio, noted the conflicting portraits of the suspect.
“On paper, he’s a hero,” Hayes said of Air Force Staff Sgt. Benjamin Ford. “But when it comes to what happened … he deserves to be punished.”
Ford, an expert in defusing bombs, was part of a military contingent that was in town last September while President Obama was speaking to the UN. His job: to help protect the President and other world leaders.
Ford was outside McCoy’s Bar in Hell’s Kitchen in the early hours of Sept. 26 when the attack went down, police said.
Hayes and two friends, Alec Bell and Danny Calvert, say Ford flicked a cigarette at them, then told Calvert, “Keep moving, faggot.”
He also allegedly called Bell a “homo.” Bell and his pals returned fire by making fun of the suspect’s baldness, cops said.
That’s when things exploded.

Air Force Staff Sgt. Benjamin Ford

Hayes told cops that Ford shoved him and Calvert and then clocked Bell in the face.
“Die of AIDS, you fucking queers,” Ford allegedly yelled at the trio before going back inside the Ninth Ave. bar.
Police responded but did not take a report, the victims said. That complaint is now the subject of an NYPD Internal Affairs investigation.
The Hate Crimes Task Force was assigned to the case and eventually identified Ford as the suspect and learned he was assigned to an Air Force base five hours outside London.
A NYPD Intelligence Division detective who is stationed in London drove to the base and interviewed Ford, who admitted he was at the scene but insisted his alleged victims started the fight, a source said.
Surveillance video, however, shows Ford attacking them, the source told the Daily News.
In an added twist to the case, the NYPD and Manhattan prosecutor’s office, after consulting the three gay victims, have agreed to let the U.S. military try Ford and dole out any punishment if he is found guilty in the attack, sources told The News.
Ford has not been formally charged.
Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, who has been involved in pressing for a full investigation, called the latest news in the case a “very helpful development.”
And City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said the planned prosecution “sends a strong message” that hate crimes won’t be tolerated.
from The New York Daily News

Dean Awford

UNITED KINGDOM – A former drag queen, Dean Awford, who was known as “Dean The Queen” has been awarded £30,000 for unfair dismissal.
But claims that Dean Awford, 42, suffered sexual discrimination and sexual harassment were dismissed despite being called “a faggot” and a “poof” by his boss.
Mr Awford, who used to appear in clubs in Birmingham and Manchester as Scarlett Eclipse, claimed his boss abused him about his sexuality and even told a customer he had “knickers to match” his leather shoes.
He sued David Gray, of the upmarket furniture store Grays At Northwick in Worcester, for unfair dismissal and sexual orientation discrimination.
Mr Awford had earlier told an employment tribunal that Mr Gray continually used derogatory terms relating to his sexuality during his employment as a £16,000-a-year sales manager.
The hearing in Birmingham heard that Mr Awford was called a “faggot” when he turned up in a white suit, “a poof” and was constantly refered to as “she” or “her”.
On Monday, Employment Judge David Kearsley found that Mr Awford had been unfairly dismissed.
He said that comments by Mr Gray: “Call yourself a fucking manager – you couldn’t organise a piss-up in a brewery” and his later response: “Fuck off” constituted unfair dismissal.
He also awarded £118 in unauthorised deductions and a further £67 in holiday pay and in total awarding more than £30,000.
But his further claims for sexual orientation discrimination and sexual harassment were dismissed despite his employer making offensive remarks about his sexuality.
Mr Gray, 56, denied both unfair dismissal and sexual orientation discrimination.
“Many homosexual males would have found the comments made by Mr Gray offensive. The tribunal is not condoning Mr Gray’s behaviour,” Judge Kearsley said.
“Equally many women would have found the comments about their underwear on the chiller offensive.
“But we have considered the character of the claimant and the absence of any complaint during the period of employment.”
He continued: “The tribunal doesn’t accept that Mr Gray made any comments that were particularly capable of constituting harassment.
“He referred to himself as Dean the Queen and would recount details of his sexual activity.
“(Mr Awford) believed he was working in his dream job.”
After the hearing Mr Awford said: “I am delighted that the unfair dismissal claim was upheld. I’ve known all along that my treatment at work was wrong.
“I only hope Mr Gray will ensure that no other employees are treated so shabbily in future. I hope I have helped improve his employee relations ahead of the festive period.
“I suppose as far as Gray’s At Northwick are concerned then I could be the Christmas fairy.”
Mr Gray, who took the case using his employers insurance policy, said: “I am slightly disappointed – I think the compensation was rather too high.
“But I am very pleased on the result of the sexual harassment.
“There were lies told in that court that were vulgar and disgusting.”
from The Telegraph UK
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