Current Tonight | August 26, 2010 | 8 comments

Power Ranger David Yost: I Quit 'Because I Was Called Faggot' One Too Many Times' / Queerty

source: http://www.queerty.com/power-ranger-david-yost-i-quit-because-i-was-called-faggot-one-too-ma...

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In an announcement that will shock many of you — TO YOUR CORE — 41-year-old actor David Yost, who played the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers' Billy Cranston (aka Blue Ranger), has come out. But that's not where the story ends.

Yost says he quit the show because he was harassed over his sexuality. "Creators, producers, writers, directors" all threw the F-word around at him. Yost, whose character was written out in subsequent franchise incarnations, reveals in a lengthy interview that he "walked off set one day in the middle of lunch," a move he had been thinking about for about a week. "Continuing to work in an environment like that is really difficult. I myself was struggling with who I was, or what I was, and to be made fun of on some level, or to be stereotyped, or put into a category … I was continually being told I'm not worthy of where I am because I'm quote-unquote a gay person and I'm not supposed to be an actor and can't be a superhero." His co-stars, Yost says, were beckoned into producers' offices on multiple occasions to be quizzed about his sexuality.

And after leaving the show, everything was swell? No. He spent two years trying to "pray the gay away," had a nervous break down, checked himself into a mental hospital for five weeks, and upon his release he moved to Mexico for a year. "It frustrated me that I hated myself on such a level that I couldn't accept myself."
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  2. tags:
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8 comments // Power Ranger David Yost: I Quit 'Because I Was Called Faggot' One Too Many Times' / Queerty

  • bike10
  • covertops
    • 0
      covertops  

    • STICK AND STONES MAY BREAK MY BONES BUT WORDS WILL NEVER HURT ME....
      names hurt, attitudes hurt
      this was a kids show, the whole thing was gay, I agree
      but that is the least productive environment, on one hand have the guy be a superhero, and then in the other dehumanize him with nastiness
      wtf
      i didnt like the show, I was like 13 when it came on but my sister is 6 yrs my younger and loved it.
      my gay superhero was "CAPTIAN PLANET."
      BLUE AND GAYLIKE......
      hopefully blue ranger has it together, fuck what others say
      be as gay as you can or want to be. just be comfortable with yourself
      GO BLUE RANGER...

    • 1 year ago
  • UrbanGypsy
    • 0
      UrbanGypsy  

    • It was very mean of them to treat him like that. Even if you feel uncomfortable with someone who is gay, you should at least have the common decency to keep it to yourself. Very mean spirited...

    • 1 year ago
  • littlwarrior
    • +1
      littlwarrior  

    • I always wondered why the blue ranger was my fav. Now I know. hmm That and for someone to put another person through that kind of trauma is total bullshit. He should take after those producers for all he can get. And the power ranger dynasty he could become quite wealthy

    • 1 year ago
  • bailey78
    • 0
      bailey78  

    • What a shame I know how it is to hate who you are an I'm not even Gay. I can't imagine how it feels to be pushed out of your job because of who you are. Maybe He is in a better .place within his own head now. I wonder if He could sue the Hell out of the folks he was working for? You know for the mental stress an all? I know I would try .

    • 1 year ago
  • littlwarrior
  • bailey78
    • 0
      bailey78  
    • littlwarrior:

      You know I'm not gay but I can see where this kind of B.S. could make a person go a little batty. being called names gets to ya after awhile. even in jest it doesn't take long for it to go to far and people get mad an or depressed. Thats how most all these job related shootings start out. Some one starts getting pushed around a little they start getting mad without an outlet for the anger they snap pickup a gun then we hear on the evening News that somebody went postal an shot up the place they worked at. I'm glad this did not happen in his case.

    • 1 year ago
  • littlwarrior
    • 0
      littlwarrior  
    • bailey78:

      I agree, it just takes one person being a pain in the ass to ruin an entire work envirnoment. I remember my first job they decided to haze me and i was all, dude what the fuck ever you need me and i know it revenge? I quit! Made quite the scene the midst of dinner rush involving the poo they laid then tried to make me clean up.

    • 1 year ago
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