A video that is being widely circulated on social media shows a confrontation between a gay man and a bystander after the former was filmed yelling a racist slur at an African-American man.
"Hey yo, it'll be smart to get out of the middle of the street asshole. F**king n****r," the man yells from his car at a black sanitation worker on Saturday evening in New York's Upper East Side.
"Are you recording me?" the driver asks a bystander pointing a cellphone towards him. "Yeah," the man responds. The man then asks him why he's being filmed. "Because you're an asshole," the bystander replies.
"I'm an asshole? Honey, look in the mirror okay. The only person who is an asshole is you for recording," the driver claps back while holding a cigarette in his hand.
"You are so fierce," the pedestrian sarcastically responds. "I know. I am, thank you. Are you gay too?" the driver asks. "No," the pedestrian answers, to which, the driver says, "Well you look like it."
Assaults Man, Slams Cellphone Against Pavement
When asked what he intended to do with the recording, the bystander told the drive he plans to post it on the internet. The driver laughs at his response before saying, "Okay. I'll get fans, honey. That's what I'll do."
Moments later, the driver exits the vehicle and assaults the man recording him in video footage recorded by a third person from a different angle. The driver then grabs his phone and throws it against the pavement with force.
The video clip of the racist incident was shared on YouTube, along with a caption stating that it took place on East 85th St, between 1st and York Ave, at approximately 6:00pm on Saturday.
The video has since gone viral on social media and was also retweeted by city council candidate Andrew Beckford on Sunday.
"Racist on the Upper East Side. Find out who this racist person is and let us hold them accountable. This and any other act of racism will NOT be tolerated," Beckford wrote. "As City Council Member of #District45, I will be holding these racists accountable."
Disavowed by Gay Community
The man was later identified as Joseph O'Brian, a gay adult film actor who goes by the stage name, "Dustin Gold." The viral video has sparked outrage on social media with many condemning his racist behavior. Several members of the gay community were also quick to disown him as an official member of the LGBTQ community.
"As a gay, we don't claim him," wrote one user, while another commented. "I'm Gay, and I am so angry after seeing this! I hope the offended party presses charges!
"This breaks my heart," opined a third user. "As a gay man he should know how hard we have fought and continue to fight for our rights and he should be on the right side of history by lifting up black people instead of using racial slurs. I am ashamed of him and I'm ashamed he is part of my community."
