Stabbing in NYC Gay Neighborhood Being Treated As Hate Crime
On Wednesday night, a man was stabbed in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood na now investigating police are treating the incident as a hate crime.
As reported by NBC News, the 44-year-old man was walking in the popularly known gay neighborhood when a group of men made an anti-gay remark toward him.
Upon the victim confronting the men about the remark, two men punched the victim and another stabbed him in the leg, said a spokesperson for the New York City Police Department said Thursday.
The victim was hospitalized and is in stable condition while the suspects remain at large.
New York City Council Member Erik Bottcher, who identifies as gay and whose district includes Hell's Kitchen, said he is "enraged" by the attack.
"New York City is a symbol of diversity and freedom throughout the world, and Hell's Kitchen is a haven for the LGBTQ+ community, and we will always stand up against hate of all kinds," Bottcher said in a statement. "We will not be intimidated."
The stabbing is but the latest in a string of attacks against LGBTQ people, venues and symbols in recent months.
"In February, a woman set a Manhattan restaurant's rainbow pride flag on fire, in what police are also investigating as a possible anti-LGBTQ hate crime," NBC News reports. "Last month, right-wing protesters flocked to a Drag Story Hour event — where drag performers read children's books to kids and their families — at Manhattan's LGBTQ community center."
On Monday, several suspects were arraigned for their part in a sting of drug-facilitated robberies that left two gay men dead after visiting bars in Hell's Kitchen.
Stay safe NYC.