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Loading ...Gay news anchor fired after filing discrimination complaint
08.07.2009 2:00pm EDT
(Miami) Openly-gay news anchor Charles Perez has been fired from WPLG after he filed a discrimination complaint against the station claiming he was demoted due to his sexuality.
The news station claims his allegations are “false and outrageous” and they had “no real choice” but to let him go.According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, “Perez filed a discrimination complaint July 31 with Miami-Dade County’s Equal Opportunity Board, claiming the station demoted him after publicity over a bitter breakup with his male partner.”
A personal email of Perez’s that had been sent to his therapist in which he talked about his gender identity issues was forwarded to everyone in his address book the Advocate reports. After claiming he was told he was “lacking a masculine on-camera persona,” Perez said was demoted.
Station Vice President and News Director Bill Pohovey, who is also openly gay, has said that Perez’s complaint is unfounded.
“As a gay man myself, I can safely say the station does not discriminate against gay people,” said Pohovey.
Perez’s attorney has announced that he plans to add a retaliation charge to his complaint.
Be careful with all your opinions, people. I’d bet big money that we don’t have all the facts of the case (we may never will). We just went through a case up here in Cambridge, MA where it looked like a clear-cut racial profiling case, and it turned out not to be the case. Wait for more facts to come out….
Charlie Brennan: I think you’ve hit the heart of this story. Whether or not his supervisor is gay, the media has a mold that men are supposed to fit into. I highly doubt Bill Pohovey, being a business man, would hesitate to fire Perez if he wasn’t considered masculine enough.
perez is an ass and if he got fired i dont care. even the right side has a total ass sometimes. Perez just because your gay doesnt make you a good person to speak. shut up!!!!!!!
It would seem that it doesn’t help to have a superior who is also gay testifying against you. There are lots of gay Hollywood producers who are homos who would drop a young actor if there was the whiff of a doubt about his sexuality. The media is a very self-loathing business, founded on false imagery and false personalities.
This is one prime example where the ENDA must be passed, and must be passed now. This Act along with other acts such as DOMA and DADT only serve to marginalize Gay people further from leading full and productive lives they were meant to. You cannot and must not base a person’s job performance on who they sleep with. Granted there seems to be some issues on the home front that may have affected Mr. Perez’s job performance, but should not warrant dismissal. What heterosexual man or woman, from time to time, has not taken to the office issues with their spouses or children. It happens all the time, certainly their job performances are temporarily affected, but they are not immediately dismissed. There seems to be more to this story, of which I am certain will come out in the wash. However, I have to question as well the loyalties and lack of inaction by the Station Vice President Bill Pohovey, I think he could have been more emotionally supportive of Mr. Perez, considering the entire situation, he being a openly Gay man as well should be well aware of all the obstacles, personal and professionally that Gay people must face and deal with on a daily basis.
Regarding Mr. Charlies Perez: Wow. I sincerely hope Mr. Perez has the best legal counsel that he can possibly afford to take this, if necessary, to the highest court in the land. This is outrageous. This kind of harassment must stop and be cut off at the knees as swiftly and as permanently as humanly possible. Good luck, Mr. Perez . . . we, the gay people of the nation are all behind you and wish you nothing but complete success in your quest for your civil and human rights. Hang in there; we’ll be following this case with great interest. -David Gibson, Richland, GA
Just because the news director is a gay man himself doesn’t mean that there isn’t a legitimate instance of sexual orientation discrimination happening here.
Sometimes, gay men who are considered “fem” get more hate and crap from other gay men.
I’m more concerned about how Perez’s emails got leaked to others? Just remember people, someone’s watching at all times so be wary about what you write…
Wasn’t there a similar story a few years ago, in Nashville? TV anchor at a station there who was fired after a few months, largely because his voice was too stereotypically gay? I tried looking this up online but couldn’t find anything.
“After claiming he was told he was “lacking a masculine on-camera persona,” Perez said was demoted.”
I can relate to this trend of, “you’re not masculine enough” even among fellow gays.