New York police are searching for an unidentified suspect in an attack on a gay man as he recorded a TikTok video last weekend.
The footage, according to ABC News New York, shows a gay man and his friend in the middle of making a video together for TikTok. The pair were filming the video in lower Manhattan on Saturday (Sept 26) night. Out of nowhere, a male suspect walks up and punches the gay man in the face. His friend tries to intervene, holding the suspect back. The attacker strikes the victim again, this time in the back of the head, sending him reeling off camera.
Related: Man says Trump gave him ‘permission’ to voice hatred for LGBTQ community in church
According to the victim and his friend–who have not been publicly identified to protect their privacy–the attacker also yelled anti-gay slurs as he struck. He then fled on foot to whereabouts unknown.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
The gay man victimized in this beating suffered a bloody nose and lacerations to his lip. He declined medical treatment after the attack.
The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force has launched a full investigation into the attack, and has sent out a public appeal in hopes of identifying the suspect in this case. Video footage and eyewitness accounts describe him as male, white, with blond hair, 5’9″ to 5’10”, 200lbs. At the time of the incident, he wore a white long-sleeved shirt, black shorts and black sneakers.
The incident in question is just the latest in a series of physical attacks on LGBTQ people, which have spiked during Donald Trump‘s first term as president. The New York Times reported last year that hate crimes hit a 16-year high, in particular physical attacks directed toward African-Americans, immigrants and queer folk. This year alone has seen more than a dozen transgender women–mostly women of color–murdered.
Godabed
To the friend: Why are you holding the camera when you should have beat his a**. If you don’t know how to fight, I suggest you learn, the current US climate is aggressive so we all need to protect ourselves. People like this have no problems in killing us so fight as if your life depends on it because it may. What would you have done if the other person didn’t pull them away and they just kept hitting him, were you going to keep rolling?
To the guy who was sucker punched. I hope you heal quickly, and be more cautious about where and when you decide to do things like this. Hopefully this incident won’t stop you from doing what you love and you keep pushing forward. Best wishes stay safe out there, you were lucky some of us don’t get to come home.
Fname Optional Lname
“be more cautious about where and when you decide to do things”????
Really? That’s the equivalent of telling a rape victim that they should wear a more conservative outfit next time they go out. That’s just awful! Are we going to instruct the entire LGBTQ community to monitor their gayness from now on? We have done that long enough, if anything we should be amplifying it, no apologies and no excuses.
dhmonarch89
Fname- NO it’s not, JEEZ! If you’d rather die than do a quick 10 second scan of the area- fine, but don’t urge other’s martyrdom! Being careful in the world of Trump IS SENSIBLE!
Kangol2
I hope the authorities find this blond brute, prosecute his @ss and put him behind bars for a while. I’m not advocating violence, but if someone in prison rearranges his face it would come with the territory.
spunkfunker
Why didn’t the friend try to beat the dudes a&^ or at least kick him in the balls, then stomp him flat!
fredk
shouldda picked up a blunt object, hit the self loathing gay blonde basher with it & filmed it.
Crayonap
This ridiculous idea that gay bashers are self-loathing closeted gays needs to be put to rest.
ShowMeGuy
Trump was right about one thing back in 2016…… I’m sick and tired of all this “winning”.
Vince
It’s always the same. Gay man gets beaten up by whatever. One day I’d like to hear about a gay man beating the shit out of the thug. Better yet just carry a knife and carve the f*cker up like a pumpkin.
Guy guys need to stop being such pusses and learn to fight back. Stop being such easy targets. That or find a lesbian friend who will follow and protect you.
HmphGay
Queerty, this is serious and for once you can use your broad reach to do something useful — how lazy was this article to just link to the ABC news article? I would have thought Queerty would include the video and multiple close up stills of the guy’s face.