Colorado Trans Man Assaulted on Front Porch for 'Acting Gay'

A Colorado Springs trans man is recuperating after he says three men hopped over his fence, screamed slurs at him and his partner, and physically assaulted him.

The attack occurred Saturday in the city of Colorado Springs, a bastion of conservatism in increasingly liberal Colorado. Emmit Davis says he was simply sitting on his front porch with his partner when a group of men began yelling homophobic slurs at them, ostensibly believing they were a same-sex couple.

When Davis responded to the epithets, the men jumped over his fence and punched him several times while screaming more slurs.

"For it to happen in our own front yard, it was pretty terrifying," Davis told KRDO-TV, a local ABC affiliate.

"I never in my life thought for being who I am, I would be assaulted," said Davis, who was recently named Mr. Trans of Colorado Springs.

"We're not seen as humans by some people," he added.

The Colorado Springs Police Department is searching for the three suspects, last seen walking in the southeast section of the city. Anyone with information related to the crime can contact its tip line.

Colorado Springs has seen a rise of hate crimes lately, with eight confirmed in 2017 and 12 confirmed last year. Hate crimes across the country jumped 17 percent in 2017, according to a report from the FBI.