An alleged rape on an Orlando woman outside of an LGBT nightclub Aug. 25 is being investigated by local authorities as an anti-gay hate crime.
According to local news outlet WFTV, the victim was walking home from popular LGBT nightclub Revolution when she reportedly stopped under an overpass to give change to a homeless man. The victim, whose name has not been released in the media, stated that a car then pulled up carrying three men and one of the occupants allegedly pushed her to the ground. The driver then allegedly raped her while making homophobic slurs.
"They made statements indicating their desire to punish her for her sexual orientation," stated Sgt. Jim Young in the above video. According to the police report, the attackers called the victim a lesbian and said, "I'll show you how a real man feels."
Police tell WFTV that they are treating the incident as a hate crime. At present, no media reports have verified whether or not the victim identifies as a lesbian.
This summer has seen a dramatic spike in anti-LGBT violence in other parts of the country, most recently an attack on two gay men in the historically queer-friendly New York neighborhood of Chelsea. The number of anti-LGBT incidents this year is reportedly set to double from pervious years in New York.
According to Wesh 2 News, a recent crime report from the FBI states that seven people were attacked last year in Central Florida because of their sexual orientation.
"There are still people out there that hate us," said Randy Stephens of The Center, a local LGBT organization. "Even with all the victories wave had, we may have let our guard down."
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