Gay couple hospitalised after horrific ‘homophobic’ attack in Times Square, New York
A gay couple were reportedly beaten up in a possible hate crime, in New York’s Times Square. (Alexander Spatari/Getty Images)
A gay couple were reportedly attacked by four suspects who used “anti-gay slurs” in Times Square, New York.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) has said the attack, which reportedly hospitalised the two men, could be investigated as a hate crime once more information about the incident is collected.
The two men were attacked by four suspects while they were walking around popular tourist destination Times Square on 8 April at around 10.30pm, according to Fox News.
The couple, who asked to remain anonymous, told the outlet that the group made “anti-gay comments” to them, before “pushing” them and beating them up.
They were reportedly taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan after the incident, where Fox News claims one of the victims had to have surgery.
A NYPD spokesperson confirmed to PinkNews that a 27-year-old male and a 47-year-old male were punched during a “verbal dispute”, with the suspect then fleeing. No arrests have yet been made.
“The subject fled the location to parts unknown,” the NYPD said in a statement to PinkNews.
“The victims were transported to Mount Sinai Hospital in stable condition. There are no arrests and the investigation remains ongoing.”
According to a report from December 2020, a shocking 68 per cent of LGBTQ+ people in England and Wales said they had been subjected to a hate crime based on their sexuality or gender identity in the past 12 months.
A further 27 per cent said they had suffered physical injury from a hate attack.
A majority of LGBTQ+ victims (75 per cent) did not report hate crimes to police, with some saying that they didn’t trust the police would take their report seriously.
Marta Lima, a computer engineer who helped create the app Zoteria, which offers advice to those affected by hate crime, claimed that everyone in the LGBTQ+ community “has a story”.
“Often people don’t know their rights, don’t think they will be taken seriously, nor that reporting an incident matters,” Lima said.
Anyone who has witnessed or experienced a hate crime is urged to call the police on 101, Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit the True Vision website. In an emergency, always dial 999.
