Gay Veteran Alleges Homophobic Abuse by Neighbors

Gay Air Force veteran and former WeHo News publisher Ryan Gierach has accused his neighbors of targeting him for homophobic abuse and physical assault.

Gierach, who lives in Los Angeles's San Pedro neighborhood, told local TV station KTLA his neighbors started using antigay epithets toward shortly after he moved in two years ago.

Recently, he said, after he hung up a rainbow flag in honor of Pride Month, his neighbors made antigay comments toward him and assaulted him. He captured a video of two women and a child mocking him, and one women spitting at him.

A few months ago, someone posted fliers around the neighborhood that accused Gierach of pedophilia and listed his home address, he told the station.

Gierach, who said he was discharged from the Air Force for his sexuality in 1979, noted that he reported on incidents like this during his time at WeHo News.

"For 20 years now I've covered this sort of thing happening to other people," he told KTLA reporter John Fenoglio. "And it hurt me deeply every time it happened to other people."

At least one neighbor, Aiden Garcia-Sheffield, came out in support of Gierach. "It's a sad situation, and we're not going to let it happen, because if you mess with one of us you mess with all of us," Garcia-Sheffield told KTLA.

Gierach filed police reports. The Los Angeles Police Department said officers are investigating but have yet to make contact with anyone involved. Watch the KTLA report below.