Antigay Attack Reported in Missoula, Mont.

A 32-year-old man said that he was assaulted early Saturday morning by a group of attackers who shouted an antigay slur outside the AmVets club, the only gay bar in downtown Missoula, Mont.

According to the Missoulian, police say "there were between eight and 10 aggressors present during the assault, which occurred shortly after midnight outside the bar at 225 Ryman St. However, it's unclear how many men actually participated in the attack, and police say some of the men were yelling and jeering at the victim but not hitting him."

The victim reported the assault Saturday night, after he was treated and released from the hospital without serious injuries. The attackers remain at large.

Police are investigating the incident as a robbery, Sgt. Bob Bouchee told the Missoulian, because personal items of an unspecified nature were stolen during the attack.

"Bouchee said investigators have not yet determined if the man was targeted because he is homosexual, or if the discriminatory term was being used flippantly as a crude insult."

The AmVets Club, initially established as a bar to attract military veterans, is widely known as the gay bar in Missoula.