Police are determining if a battery incident that happened during Northalsted Market Days on the Red Line will be classified as an anti-gay hate crime.
Paul W. Thompson said he was traveling home alone from Sidetrack at 3 a.m. on Aug. 8 when he overheard two men muttering anti-gay slurs.
"I realized he was saying 'fucking faggots," Thompson told Windy City Times. "He was angry that there were all these 'fucking faggots' on the train."
According to Thompson, he confronted the man and told him stop. "I stood up. I never took a step. I never leaned in."
Thompson said that the harassment continued for 15 minutes. When Thompson gave directions to a gay couple from out of town to exit at Bryn Mawr, the same man told one person in the couple that gangs in the neighborhood would "beat his faggot ass" and then kicked him as he exited the train.
Thompson confronted the man a second time. He asked what he was doing and scolded him. "I told him, 'you're embarrassing yourself in front of the women on this train.'" Thompson says other people on the train voiced their disapproval as well.
When train doors opened at Thorndale, the man punched Thompson in the face and fled the El.
Thompson had to have seven stitches on his mouth; he also suffered minor head injuries.
According to the Chicago Police Department, the suspects are a Black male, 6'-6'1", 20-25 years old, 180-200 lbs.; and a white Hispanic male, 5'7"-5'10", 20-25 years old and 170-180 lbs.
Police have at least one witness. Thompson said he intends to press charges if a suspect is caught.
