Two gay men say that they were attacked by someone who was "infuriated by my existence," resulting in his face being slashed.
ABC7 in New York showed the stitches that Harmony Vuitton has over the right side of his face. He and his friend Eric Ortiz were standing outside of a smoke shop when two other men began harassing them.
"They were like, look at this ***** ****** and homophobic slurs such as that," Vuitton said.
That's when things turned violent, with the attacker picking up a long stick.
"The first time he swung and I blocked it with my hand," Ortiz recalled, showing his bruises.
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"It's more mentally traumatizing than anything," Vuitton told the local news station. However, he felt emboldened to show that he would not be afraid and would stand his ground.
"It makes me feel motivated to raise awareness and to get the message out that we are here and we aren't going anywhere," explained Vuitton.
Vuitton also explained that he's seen the attackers in the neighborhood before, but it's the first time he's ever experienced any violence.
