Ex-Talk Show Host's Racist And Homophobic Rant At California Dept Store Caught On Camera

A former talk show host was caught on camera going on a racist and homophonic rant at a department store in California after he was asked to wear a mask.

The video, posted on Twitter by Eddie House, showed the man, later identified as Tim Gaskin, furiously speaking with the Marshalls department store employee and another man recording him about the store’s mask-wearing requirement.

"What's your dumb f-----g f----t problem? You don't know the law? That's how stupid you are," Gaskin tells the man filming him.

He then tells the employee that asking him to leave the store for not wearing a mask would be a health code violation.

"It'll cost you $75,000. It's a health code violation to deny service to someone with a disability. So I would love you to do it, it'll cost you $75,000," Gaskin tells the employee.

He then looks at the man filming him and tells, "It's a $75,000 fine. Dumb Mexican guy here doesn't know because he doesn't speak English." Gaskin is then seen unzipping his pants. Police arrived at the store and detained Gaskin. The incident was under investigation.

Calling the act of unzipping his pant the "the primary concern," Captain Ian White with Campbell PD told ABC7 News, "Our primary concern, obviously with this call, which I think is of great concern is the exposure aspect of this and if a crime occurred. And that's really not to minimize the mask-wearing and the times that we're in now, and how dangerous that can be as well. But you know, really looking at the crime aspect of exposing oneself in the middle of a populated store, and trying to look into that at this point."

When asked if the incident was being investigated as a hate crime, White told the channel, "I will tell you, and in talking to the investigating officers, that at this time it does not appear to be a motivating factor. However, we are looking into all aspects of this. Just to be clear, there is no clear-cut exposure in the video. Otherwise, there probably would have been different investigative steps taken, and maybe an on-view arrest at that point in time, but that evidence isn't clear."

Gaskin, who was once a prominent figure in the San Francisco LGBTQ community, was a television talk show host. He also started a magazine called, "Benefit: The Lifestyle of Giving."