CHELSEA — Two men walking hand-in-hand in Chelsea were attacked early Wednesday by a group of young men shouting anti-gay remarks, according to police.
Michael Felenchak, 27, and his partner Peter Notman, 53, had just seen a film at Chelsea Cinemas on West 23rd Street and were walking away from the theater after midnight when they were approached by the attackers, cops said.
"What are you looking at, f----t?" one of the attackers shouted at West 24th Street and Ninth Avenue before punching the couple, police sources said.
"We were trying to run, but they were pulling at us and kicking at us and punching us, trying to stop us," Felenchak told reporters Wednesday, "They hit [Notman] in the head and the whole side of his head is swollen."
No arrest has been made at this time, but the NYPD hate crimes unit is investigating the incident as a possible bias attack, police said.
Felenchak and Notman sustained cuts to the face after being punched, police said. Initial reports indicated the men had been stabbed, but the victims later told reporters that was not the case.
Felenchak received stitches to his chin at Beth Israel Hospital, NYPD and FDNY officials said.
Notman was also treated for cuts to his face but did not require stitches, according to reports.
The assault is the latest in a series of violent attacks on gay men in the city this year. In May, a 32-year-old gay man was shot and killed in Greenwich Village after his attacker allegedly shouted anti-gay slurs at the victim and his partner. More recently, an anti-gay altercation occurred on the F Train after the city's pride parade.
