Gaybashers Beat Man in Historic NYC Gay Bar

(Newser) – Gaybashers attacked a customer in the historic Manhattan bar considered the birthplace of the fight for gay rights. "Get away from me!" the thug yelled at the customer in the bathroom of the Stonewall bar in the Village. "I don't like gay people. Don't pee next to me," he was quoted as saying in court documents. Matthew Francis, 21, then allegedly demanded $20 from victim Benjamin Carver, 34. When Carver refused, Francis and a 17-year-old friend punched him "multiple times" in the face, said a law enforcement official. Francis was busted at the scene and charged with assault as a hate crime and attempted robbery.

In 1969 patrons battled back after cops raided the Stonewall, launching the start of a gay rights uprising. The weekend Stonewall attack occurred a day after three gays were viciously beaten by a pack of men in nearby Chelsea after they kissed. Manhattan City Council President Christin Quinn said she was "appalled" by the attacks. "These hate crimes highlight the climate of homophobia people face on a daily basis," she told the New York Daily News.