A gay man was attacked outside a West Village McDonalds for doing nothing more than wearing pink shoelaces and bright clothing, according to the victim.
Damian Furtch, 26, was pummeled early Sunday by two suspects shouting anti-gay epithets, police said.
The beating was the third bias attack in the neighborhood since October.
Furtch raged about the attack on his Facebook wall and in a public statement.
"I thought I was safe in the city I loved but apparently wearing fluorescent colored clothing and pink shoelaces really bother some f-----g a--holes to blind side me and hit me," Furtch wrote on Facebook.
He captioned photos of his injuries "Four Stitches, Thanks Bitches!"
In a public statement, Furtch warned that the attack on him was part of a city-wide problem with violence against the LGBT community.
"The attack against me is part of the larger issue of violence against gay and transgender people in New York City," Furtch said. "This has to stop. Under no circumstance should a person be attacked for their sexual orientation."
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said the attack was "upsetting" and "deeply disappointing," particularly because the violence happened "in a neighborhood where the LGBT civil rights movement was really born."
"Some people still think that hate crimes are kind of a joke in New York City, that it's just some type of adult bullying that doesn't have any consequences and we want people to know that that is simply not true," Quinn told 1010 WINS. "We are not going to allow you to attack people because of who they are or who they think you are."
If you have any details about the attack, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or submit tips at nypdcrimestoppers.com or text info to 274637 (CRIMES), entering TIP577.