>> The first same-sex couple to be married at West Point Military Academy were the victims of an anti-gay hate crime while shopping in a Manhattan bodega in the upscale neighborhood of SoHo on Sunday.
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« Nous n’aurions jamais imaginé être agressés en plein ‘village’ de Soho en 2015 parce que nous sommes homosexuels… Mais c’est bien pourtant ce qui nous est arrivé… », a expliqué sur son compte Facebook Larry Lennox-Choate III, l’une des deux « victimes ».
Il était avec son époux devant un kiosque à journaux, lorsqu’un individu qui venait pour s’acheter des bières les a copieusement gratinés des mêmes injures homophobes récurrentes, en constatant qu’ils étaient en couple. Le ton est encore monté et Daniel Lennox-Choate a reçu les coups.
Mais si les deux conjoints ont choisi d’entrer dans « les affaires », en rejoignant la vie civile, ce sont également des militaires, diplômés de l’Académie de « West Point » à New York, la première base militaire créée après la Déclaration d’Indépendance, et l’une des plus prestigieuses écoles militaires aux États-Unis. Et Larry est un vétéran d’Irak et d’Afghanistan.
« Bien heureusement, nous avons pu gérer la situation parce que nous avons appris à nous battre. J’ai lâché l’individu sur le trottoir… il s’est enfuit, la queue entre les jambes, recouvert de son propre sang. Je n’en suis pas spécialement fier mais nous refusons d’être des victimes », ajoute t-il.
Une enquête est en cours et la police a lancé un appel à témoins pour permettre l’identification du suspect. Si vous avez des informations sur l’individu : 800-577-TIPS
Terrence Katchadourian/Joelle Berthout
@stop_homophobie
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>> The police are hoping the public can help them find the suspect who yelled anti-gay statements and attacked a gay man in a Manhattan bodega on Sunday. The victim’s husband apparently fought the attacker off.
According to the NYPD, the victim and his husband were at the SOHO Newstand at 186 Prince Street around 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, August, « when an unidentified male in his forties entered the location to buy beer. The male began to shout anti-gay statements which led to a verbal dispute. The unidentified suspect struck the 30-year-old male victim in the face causing minor injuries to his mouth. »
The victim refused medical attention at the scene, while the suspect fled on a grey bicycle. Police released an image of the suspect (right), describing him as about 5’8″, 130 pounds with curly hair and wearing a white t-shirt and blue shorts holding a grey bicycle and carrying a black backpack.
Larry Lennox-Choate wrote on his Facebook page that his husband Daniel Lennox-Choate was attacked. Both men are West Point graduates whose wedding became the first same-sex marriage at the school’s chapel.
It’s hard to believe that in 2015 we would have to deal with anti-gay hate crimes in soho of all places but that’s what happened today. First off- we’re ok. Aside from one fat lip and a sore punching arm, we are fine. The guy who screamed anti-gay obscenities at us in a bodega before sucker-punching Danny? He left covered in his own blood with his tail between his legs after I handled the situation and tossed him in the street like the coward loser he is.
The hate crimes division of the NYPD is on the case and we have full faith a positive outcome will follow. We refuse to be victims and are thankful we can defend ourselves, but are saddened by the fact that idiots like this guy might not pick two guys who went through Plebe Boxing next time.
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS. The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers Website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or texting their tips to 274637(CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
