Three Gay Men Attacked on Halloween for Dressing in Drag

Three gay men in Portland, Ore. were brutally attacked on Halloween because they were dressed in drag, reports TV station KATU.

Dustin Miller, Joey Malone, and Curtis Hughes were celebrating Halloween in drag outfits near the waterfront in downtown Portland around 2 a.m. when, they say, a group of people began hollering antigay slurs at them because of their costumes.

Within moments the group turned violent and attacked the three men, dragging them by their hair, beating them with their fists, and punching one in the face with such force it broke a tooth. "I was in shock. I felt my tooth go into my tongue and I spit it out onto the ground," Malone told KATU.

One of the assailants also had a knife and attempted to slash one of the victims. "He swung it at my stomach and then swung it back up at my face," Malone said.

It was then that the three men kicked off their high heels and used them as defensive weapons, they said. Their resistance as well as the interruption of a cyclist passing by managed to drive the attackers away, but the victims were left bruised, bloodied, and scared.

Miller, Malone, and Hughes reported the incident to the police, but they believe there is little chance their assailants will be caught.

However, the men have been touched by an outpouring of support they have received from their local community, including the kindness of one dentist who donated her time and services to help temporarily fix Malone's broken tooth.

Watch KATU's coverage of the story in the video below.