Peter Nortman and his boyfriend, Michael Felenchak, left the Bow Tie Chelsea Cinema in Manhattan this week just after midnight when they were ambushed by two men shouting gay slurs.
Peter and Michael had been holding hands as they departed the theater.
The attack escalated when four more men, believed now by authorities to be friends of the other two, joined the brawl.
Said Peter:
“We did what we could. It was six of them and two of us.”
Peter and Michael were both taken to the hospital to treat their injuries, staying there all night. Peter’s head was visibly bruised, and Michael required seven stitches on his face.
Mayoral candidate, Christine Quinn, who represents Chelsea as a City Councilwoman and is herself gay, said:
├óΓé¼┼ôI am appalled by reports that two men were senselessly beaten in Chelsea simply because they were perceived to be gay. Holding hands as they walked down West 24th Street, they were assaulted as their attackers hurled anti-gay slurs. The cowardly individuals who committed this crime do not represent New Yorkers and our community will not be cowed by such violence. New York City├óΓé¼Γäós greatest strength is our diversity, and we will not stand for attacks against anyone, for any reason.”
We couldn’t agree more, Councilwoman!
We’re not saying everyone in the world has to agree, but they DO have to get along! And violence ain’t the way to achieve it.
Our thoughts go out to Michael and Peter and we wish them a speedy recovery.
[Image via NBC Channel 4 New York.]
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