The Gay Bashing Across the Street

According to Towleroad, three gay friends were attacked on Friday night outside of McCoys - a Hell's Kitchen (straight) bar that happens to be across the street from my apartment.

Radio DJ Blake Hayes recounted the experience on his blog:

"Walking down this usual block, a friend turned when a lit cigarette butt was thrown at him. 'Keep moving, faggot.' We all stopped, shocked to hear these words in what is normally such an accepting, gay-friendly neighborhood, in New York, such an open-minded city. We exchanged words, more and more heated, until he started to approach us, threatening violence. Before we knew it, he had thrown one friend against a car, denting it. The other took two punches to the face, cutting his lip before the bouncer at McCoy's came out and stopped him. We called the police. They arrived -- 5 cops or so, from at least 2 cars. They talked to the guy who assaulted us. They asked us what happened. We recounted the story. The cops -- the NYPD -- did NOTHING. They wouldn't even take the guy's information so we could file a claim later, or even run the plates of the car whose body was dented from him throwing my friend into it. 'They're NJ plates, we can't do anything.'"

This is pretty scary, considering I walk past McCoys every single day.