Exclusive: 2 gay men who were victims of bias attack sharing their story – WABC-TV

NEW YORK (WABC) — Two gay men who were victims of a bias attack are sharing their story to prove they will not live in fear, even though their attackers are on the loose.

Harmony Vuitton has a bandage on his four stitches, and exclusively told Eyewitness News the moment he was slashed.

“The men were just infuriated with my existence,” Vuitton said.

He says he and his friend, Eric Ortiz were standing in front of a smoke shop on Ocean Avenue on Friday evening when two men began taunting him.

“They were like, look at this ***** ****** and homophobic slurs such as that,” Vuitton said.

Then those taunts became violent. The perpetrator picked up a long stick.

“The first time he swung and I blocked it with my hand,” Ortiz said.

The block left Ortiz injured.

“I had a bruise the other day,” he added.

The attack has exhausted Vuitton, 22, who is openly gay.

“It’s more mentally traumatizing than anything,” he said.

The attack also empowered him to stand his ground.

“It makes me feel motivated to raise awareness and to get the message out that we are here and we aren’t going anywhere,” added Vuitton.

Vuitton says he has seen the two men in his neighborhood before, but this is the first time they became violent.

Police are still searching for the suspects.

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