Gay Men Attacked, Hit with Stick During Altercation
metroweekly.comWABC New York that the men seemed “infuriated with my existence.”“They were like, look at this ***** ****** and homophobic slurs such as that,” said Vuitton, who has rainbow-colored braids and a nose piercing.The two men then became violent, with one of the attackers picking up a long stick and swimming it at Vuitton and Ortiz.“The first time he swung and I blocked it with my hand,” Ortiz said, noting that he developed a bruise at the spot where the stick hit him.Vuitton was hit by the stick which left a deep cut on his cheek, requiring four stitches.
Vuitton says he’s “exhausted” by the attack, calling it “mentally traumatizing.” But he said the attack has also inspired him to stand up for himself and other LGBTQ people, rather than cower in fear.“It makes me feel motivated to raise awareness and to get the message out that we are here and we aren’t going anywhere,” he said.He noted that he had seen the two men in his neighborhood before, but Friday’s incident marked the first time they had been violent.
