Actor David Yost who played the original Blue Power Ranger in the 90s Power Rangers series ‘Mighty Morphin Power Rangers’ expressed delight that the Netflix reunion special ‘Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always’ has queer representation in it.
Yost, now 54, starred in the original series from 1993 to 1996 and in the 1995 film but had to leave after experiencing homophobia, bullying, and abuse from the production crew. But as he returned for the 30th-anniversary special with the queer community explicitly represented, he couldn’t help but happily note how “it’s taken a long time to get there.”
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Yost said that “It’s great that we add an element like that obviously into where we are because it’s so important that people do see representation.” In ‘Once & Always’, there is a scene where Minh, Yellow Ranger Trini’s daughter, helps a man and his boyfriend fight some of Rita Repulsa and her Putty Patrollers.
“To have it in this special I think is great and to just have it be like it’s just an everyday thing, I think is awesome,” he added.
In 2010, Yost revealed that he was called “f***** one too many times” in the set and that it “felt like I was continually being told I was not worthy of where I am because I’m a gay person.”
The bullying led him to go through conversion therapy because he “didn’t want to be gay.” Unfortunately, it did not help him, and it caused a nervous breakdown. It then took him years to rebuild himself and be comfortable with who he really is. Thankfully, he has now come to terms with his sexuality, and he actually has been receiving a lot of letters of support and appreciation from many LGBTQ+ fans.
Indeed, the Power Rangers series have worked on its representation issues. In 2022, the main villain in ‘Power Rangers Unlimited: The Death Ranger #1’ is revealed to be non-binary, and the year before, in 2021, they introduced its first queer ranger, Green Ranger of the Power Rangers Dino Fury.
Released on April 19, ‘Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always’ is now available on Netflix.
