It was meant to be a day of celebration, but hours after participating in the Alan Ross Freedom Parade with friends in Dallas, a 29-year-old man woke up in the hospital, the victim of a hate crime. [[328565841,C]]
The man doesn’t want to be identified while police look for his attackers, but he said around 10 p.m. on Sunday he decided to walk down Cedar Springs Road to a friend’s house.
Shortly after passing Douglas Avenue, he was blindsided.
“I never saw anyone, but I was hit on the left side of my face with a bat,” he said.
After that, the attackers, a group of four men, threw him in a vehicle and continued their assault.
“There was a guy who had his knees on my shoulders and was using his fist to my face,” he said.
“I just remember saying 'take whatever you want, please stop hitting me.'”
He said the men continued to pummel him while driving down the road and rifling through his pockets.
Finally, about a mile later, near Sylvester Street and Wycliff Avenue, they stopped and pulled him out of the car.
“They were saying stuff like, ‘stupid fag’ and whatever.”
He said the men continue to beat him.
“The next thing I remember, I woke up and there was blood all around me. That was probably the scariest part.”
With what energy he had, he shouted for help, finally catching the attention of a nearby neighbor who called 911.
Once in the hospital, the man discovered he had a fractured skull, a concussion and needed 30 stitches across his head.
“It saddens me more than anything,” he said. “There’s still so much hate out there.”
Now he’s hoping police can catch the men responsible.
At the same time, he is sharing his story as a reminder to the public.
He said there is still a big battle to be fought when it comes to the LGBT community.
“So stuff like this doesn’t happen in the future. Definitely less often. The fight’s not over.”
Investigators are asking anyone with information to come forward and contact Dallas police immediately.
LINK: A GoFundMe account has been established to assist the attack victim.
