Man Stabbed By Group Yelling Anti-Gay Comments In Hell's Kitchen: NYPD

HELL'S KITCHEN, NY — A man was punched and stabbed by a group of people yelling anti-gay comments in Hell's Kitchen Wednesday night, according to police and local elected officials.

The 44-year-old victim was attacked by a group of seven men as he walked by a wine shop on West 44th Street and 10th Avenue about 11:30 pm, police said.

According to officials, the group walked up to the victim as he stood on the corner and started to make derogatory comments about his sexual orientation, said James Essig, the NYPD's Chief of Detectives."They then punch, kick and stab him,” he said.

A photograph taken by local news site W42ST shows a bloodstained sidewalk outside of the wine shop this morning.

First responders rushed the victim to Mount Sinai West Hospital in stable condition, police said.

Police did not provide a description of the attackers.

Local elected officials were quick to issue statements condemning the attack, fueled by increased LGBTQ+ hostility from right-wing political groups and officials, one said.

“Hell’s Kitchen is a haven for the LGBTQ+ community, and we will always stand up against hate of all kinds,” said City Council Member Erik Bottcher, who himself has been the target of hate groups during his first year in office.

"Hate crimes are among the most pernicious forms of crime because they are intended to strike fear into entire communities," Bottcher said in a statement. "We will not be cowed, we will not be intimidated."

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— Erik Bottcher (@ebottcher) April 6, 2023

State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal said that the attack was "another example of the type of vicious and hateful attacks on LGBTQ people that are on the rise across our country," adding that "we must stand strong against this hatred and outrageous attempts at intimidation."

The rise in anti-LGBTQ violence comes as "surprising to no one," Hoylman-Sigal said in his statement, which made the connection to what he described as a surge in "inflammatory rhetoric and hate speech directed at the LGBTQ community by right-wing officials and media personalities."

Additionally, the state Senator highlighted a recent video of early 2000's musician Kid Rock who recently made a social media video of himself shooting a loaded firearm at a beer can because it displayed a rainbow flag as part of a partnership with a popular transgender social media star.

"The video has garnered over 20 million views," said Hoylman-Sigal.

Officials did confirm that the attack is being investigated by the NYPD's Hate Crimes Division.

Additional reporting by Matt Troutman.