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WATCH: SXSW Attendee Says He Was Assaulted, Called Gay Slur

WATCH: SXSW Attendee Says He Was Assaulted, Called Gay Slur

Bobby-beltran-w-hotel-x400

He says a bouncer at the W Hotel yelled a gay slur and assaulted him in front of friends.

byraffy

A visitor to the popular South by Southwest festival says he was tossed to the ground and called a gay slur by a W Hotel employee in Austin last week.

During the popular annual music, film, and Internet festival, 31-year-old Bobby Beltran was partying with friends at the W Hotel's bar when he and his friends were asked to leave because they were "too intoxicated," he tells ABC affiliate KVUE. After they were initially asked to leave the W's bar, Beltran says he objected. Then he claims he was "violently thrown to the ground" by a bouncer and was called the slur.

He told KVUE that because of the confrontation, he was rushed to the hospital to treat two dislocated hand bones, and possible nerve damage to his thumb.

Starwood Hotels, which owns the W, has a perfect score from the Human Rights Campaign's annual "Corporate Equality Index." And the W released a statement to KVUE saying it would cooperate with investigators in any way it can.

Watch KVUE's full report below.

byraffy
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Raffy Ermac

Raffy is a Los Angeles native and magazine enthusiast who loves to write about pop culture, entertainment, fashion, and all things Rihanna.
Raffy is a Los Angeles native and magazine enthusiast who loves to write about pop culture, entertainment, fashion, and all things Rihanna.