Wed 6 Oct 2010 In: International News View at Wayback View at NDHA
Two men have been charged with a hate crime after an attack on a gay man in the bathroom of historic Manhattan gay bar the Stonewall Inn. The 34-year-old victim was at a urinal when one of the men asked him if he was gay. When he responded yes, Matthew Francis, 21, allegedly yelled, "Get away from me faggot. I don't like gay people." He then asked for money saying, "Give me a dollar. Give me a 20," CNN reports. The victim refused and Francis allegedly pushed him to ground and punched him several times in the face and chest. The other man who has been arrested over the attack is 17-year-old Christopher Orlando, who is accused of standing in front of the exit and preventing the victim from leaving. Bar patrons and staff chased the men outside, where they were arrested by police officers who had been called to the scene. The Stonewall Inn was the site of a series of demonstrations in 1969 that were triggered when patrons fought back during a police raid, widely considered the start of the gay rights movement.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 6th October 2010 - 1:19pm