The victim of a mob attack during the Motor City Pride festival says he’s still in shock after the video of his attack went viral. Local police are calling the attack a hate crime.
Detroit native Christin Howard, 20, said he believes his attackers targeted him because he is gay. Howard said he posed to take a picture with a woman who recognized him from his Instagram profile, in which he goes by the name Chong Lee. As he and the girl were taking pictures, one man starting yelling gay slurs at him and commenting his hair extensions.
“He stood behind me and said, ‘This [gay slur] with the long hair, you think you have a right to wear long hair?’” Howard told the Detroit Press. From there, he believes that at least five more men approached him and began attacking him.
In the YouTube video posted Monday, Howard can be seen attempting to defend himself while a mob of men are seen kicking and punching him in the face. The attack lasts just under a minute. A number of other males joined in and quickly left as Howard was left lying in the grass. No one comes to his aid until after the assault. As of June 12, a repost of the video by WXYZ-TV Detroit has been watched close to 10,000 times.
Detroit police interviewed Howard on Tuesday and are confident that the men in the video will be found and held responsible for the beating. Chief James Craig has labeled the attack a hate crime due to the use of gay slurs. Pictures of Howard’s injuries quickly surfaced. He said he suffered a fractured finger, damage to his left eye causing vision problems, and bruises on his face and neck.
The attack has left Howard with more than just physical scars. “Now every time I see a group of guys I get that same feeling that I’m about to be bashed or they’re about to say something,” Howard said. “I feel like I have quick flashbacks and just jump a little bit,” he added. He said he no longer feels safe at the festival and has no plans to attend again. While no one came to his aid during the attack, Howard is grateful for the outpouring of support that he received on Twitter using the hashtag #justiceforchonglee.
“We are already taking steps to work with the Detroit Police Department to review and revise our safety and security plans for next year,” Motor City Pride chair David Wait said in a statement released by Equality Michigan.