Man Holding Another Man's Hand Beaten, Kicked by Mob

An unidentified victim was peppered with antigay insults and then beaten by four men in southeast Washington State.

Neal Broverman

Neal Broverman is the Editorial Director, Print of Pride Media, publishers of The Advocate, Out, Out Traveler, and Plus, spending more than 20 years in journalism. He indulges his interest in transportation and urban planning with regular contributions to Los Angeles magazine, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He lives in the City of Angels with his husband, children, and their chiweenie.

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Neal Broverman

January 06 2020 8:51 AM EST

January 06 2020 9:07 AM EST

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Holding hands with a same-sex partner is still an act of rebellion since it's often greeted with stares, grumbles, and, occasionally, violence. The latter was the case recently in Pasco, a city in southeast Washington State.

Four men were arrested for beating and kicking a man, who was later treated for a concussion and possible broken bones. It all happened in late December after the victim was holding hands with a male partner at a food truck. After being harassed and called an antigay slur, the victim was attacked by Pedro Mata Contreras, Oscar Emester Mata, Ulises Missael Reyes-Mata, and Jose Torres, according to several witnesses. The victim was punched, knocked to the ground, and kicked repeatedly, according to Metro Weekly. The victim's name has not been released.

Contreras, Mata, Reyes-Mata, and Torres have been all charged with second-degree assault and malicious harassment. All four men have proclaimed their innocence.

Of the over 7,100 hate crimes reported in 2018, 19 percent were related to a victim's real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity, according to FBI statistics.