A stop for maragaritas on Cinco de Mayo turned sour for a gay couple, who say they were the victims of an antigay assault.
Jonathan Snipes, 32, and Ethan York-Adams, 25, told DNAinfo they were attacked Tuesday night at Dallas BBQ in Chelsea, a Manhattan neighborhood that has long been considered a safe haven for LGBT people.
Snipes said the incident occurred around 11 p.m. after he accidentally knocked over a drink while leaving the restaurant. He had just received a text message informing him there was a death in his family, which was why he was departing with haste.
"A table near us audibly started making pretty gross comments about the two of us like, 'White ******s, spilling drinks,'" Snipes said. Snipes said he approached the diners about the antigay slur, at which point a man stood up and began to attack him, knocking him to the floor, kicking his head and spine, and shouting, "Take that, ******." Snipes said his head was bruised and one of his teeth were knocked loose in the attack.
A graphic Instagram video captured the second half of the attack. After the initial assault, York-Adams helped his partner to a table, but then another man came up from behind and hit them both with a chair. A longer YouTube video of the melee shows a crowd of people shouting and attempting to restrain the attacker, who exits the Eighth Avenue restaurant after throwing the piece of furniture.
"These guys attacked us specifically because they knew we weren't their type of people," he said.
Police are currently investigating the incident but are not currently considering it a hate crime. No arrests have been made yet.
Watch the videos below, but be warned of the violence they contain.
Yes. 23rd/8th ave in Chelsea. The stomping grounds of the gays, granted that BBQs is usually filled to the brim with black people and an occasional group of gays, but no way to treat the gays like they're garbage. I don't understand how black people are going to play victim when things don't go their way but then are so quick to attack people who aren't like them. Disgusting.
Yes. 23rd/8th ave in Chelsea. The stomping grounds of the gays, granted that BBQs is usually filled to the brim with black people and an occasional group of gays.
Yes. 23rd/8th ave in Chelsea. The stomping grounds of the gays, granted that BBQs is usually filled to the brim with black people and an occasional group of gays, but no way to treat the gays like they're garbage. I don't understand how black people are going to play victim when things don't go their way but then are so quick to attack people who aren't like them. Disgusting.
Yes. 23rd/8th ave in Chelsea. The stomping grounds of the gays, granted that BBQs is usually filled to the brim with black people and an occasional group of gays, but no way to treat the gays like they're garbage. I don't understand how black people are going to play victim when things don't go their way but then are so quick to attack people who aren't like them. Disgusting.
How about you not generalize based on the actions of one or a few individuals?