Three Gay Oregon Men Attacked On Halloween While Dressed In Drag In Alleged Hate Crime

Three Oregon men say they were brutally attacked on Halloween night because they are gay -- and were dressed in drag.

As KATU is reporting, Dustin Miller, Joey Malone and Curtis Hughes were out in downtown Portland on Oct. 31 when they began to be taunted with anti-gay slurs from a group of five men before things quickly turned violent.

"I was in shock," Malone, who was dressed as Snow White, told the news station. "I felt my tooth go into my tongue and I spit it out onto the ground."

With the help of a passing cyclist, the three victims eventually fought off the attackers and have since filed a police report with local authorities, but said they aren't holding out much hope that the suspects will ever be caught or identified.

In February, a 24-year-old gay man was allegedly attacked and robbed by five people in a Gresham, Ore. park on Feb. 15. Investigators said several masked men and one masked woman displayed guns before punching and kicking Adam Salnardi, eventually stealing his wallet, cell phone and other items, according to KGW News.

"I thought I was going to die. Once I saw the gun, I thought I was going to die," Salnardi told KOMO News at the time. As to whether or not the attack was motivated by his sexuality, he added, ""Possibly. I only had $10 in my wallet ... When I was on the ground, they called me a f--- and just calling me rude names."

In March, a gay Oregon man was allegedly struck in the head with what was then described as wrench or other "bolt-cutting tool" by a passerby angered by the sight of his dog's dyed-pink fur.