photo: Ben Carver
NEW YORK, NY:
Since June 1969, the Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich Village area of New York City has been considered the birthplace of the modern gay rights movement. Today, it’s now the location of one of the latest gay bashings.
Ben Carver, 34, from Washington D.C. is a writer/art director who traveled to NYC with his boyfriend when they visited the iconic bar on October 3. Carter went to the rest room when he was viciously attacked. In his blog (bencarveronline.com), he said that when he went inside the small restroom, two young men were inside. Carter said he was asked if he was gay and he responded that it was a gay bar. The other person, who was urinating at the time responded, “don’t pee next to me, faggot.” He was then asked if he had some money to which Carter replied that he didn’t have any money, just a bank card. The two strangers then blocked the exit ,and one of the men hit Carver in the face. The two then wrestled Carter to the ground where they hit him in the head numerous times. Carter punched back and was able to break free and reached for a beer bottle he saw on the floor and threw it at his attackers. When they dodged the flying bottle, it allowed Carter enough room where he was able to open the restroom door. He ran out, bleeding from the head and stumbled to the pool table followed by his attackers. From this point, he said, the details are fuzzy, but he was helped by other people in the bar while the two attackers escaped in the confusion.
911 was called, and Carter received three stitches above the right eye. Two men were apprehended, and Carter was able to identify his alleged attackers through a line up. Arrested were Matthew Francis, 21 and Christopher Orlando, 17 both from Staten Island.
