Gay Couple Attacked in Shaw, Called “Monkeypox F*****s”
metroweekly.comMetro Weekly. “But one of them said their dad was gay and it was messed up that they attacked us. But I was still pretty pissed at the whole incident, so I let them pass.”Police arrived on the scene within minutes, with the responding officer giving the couple a ride to the emergency room at Howard University Hospital, where they stayed for six hours while they were checked for concussions and Antonio received three stitches on his upper lip.“I feel like the officers on the scene were nice, or at least pretty kind to us,” said Robert. “It was nice that they showed some shock and concern for our health.
It was really nice that they took us to the E.R. so we didn't have to pay for an ambulance.”While at the hospital, the pair gave statements to police detectives investigating the assault.From his recollection, Robert describes his assailant as an older teenager, about 5'9″ wearing black jeans, a black shirt, and a small bandage covering what looked like a cut on the right side of his face.“I mainly feel shock that this could happen in D.C.
in broad daylight, only three or four blocks from U Street, walking from a gay bar to public transit,” said Robert, who moved to the District in 2019.“I'm sure more emotions will set in later,” he added. “Nothing like this had happened to me before, so I have no idea what it's going to look like going forward, but it definitely will be a different feeling walking down the street for sure.”Both men say they've experienced more homophobia in the District than they have in their home state of Texas. “I've actually have had more experiences of homophobia the past couple of months than I have ever before, just this summer alone,” said Robert.
