Man Sues The Metropolitan Transit Authority Over Anti-Gay 'Cupcake' Comment

Here's an interesting story in today's Village Voice. The newspaper reports that Reginald Jenkins, a former coach cleaner, is now suing the MTA over actions that took place after last year's Gay Pride Parade.

Jenkins alleges that while his co-workers started shouting "kill them f*gg*ts dead," and singing the anti-gay song "Batty Boy," his foreman told him to lighten up and called him "cupcake" for the rest of the day. Jenkins claims he went to the hospital afterward for "severe internal distress."

His attorney alleges that the MTA told Jenkins they could either investigate the incident or promote him. He claims he didn't take the promotion and was fired later.

The MTA, however, claims that Jenkins didn't come to them with complaints until after they let him go.

"His application of employment was declined because of his bad performance evaluation," an MTA representative told us. "He never made any complaint to the railroad about remarks... before his application for employment was declined."

The MTA claims that after Jenkins left work June 26 (the day of the parade), they declined his application of employment. It was only a couple of days later that Jenkins came in with complaints of internal stress.