A gay man in the UK, who was knocked unconscious and severely beaten requiring medical attention at a hospital, has seen the photos of his injuries go viral on social media.
Ryan Williams, of Preston, Lancashire, shared his story along with graphic photos of his injuries from the attack on Facebook.
“I never thought in my life that I would get beaten up for being GAY!,” wrote Williams on his Facebook page. “Wtf has this world actually come too, you’re all vile and disgusting!”
“I want people to understand that being gay isn’t a choice and I can’t help it,” he added. “I’m sorry that you can’t deal with it but hey ho no need to knock someone out because of it!
He closed his post writing, “I seriously can not believe that a homophonic attack happens! Which it does and it’s wrong! Stand strong and love yourself, this isn’t gonna stop me from being fabulous! Being gay is OK!”
Williams told The Mirror he and some friends were headed to McDonalds for a bite to eat after an evening out on July 13.
“There was a group of people nearby in the street and they started calling me and my friends gay,” explained the 22-year-old. “We went over and told them it’s not okay to say things like that.”
But as Williams walked away, he says he was hit in the back of the head and fell to the ground. Stunned from the attack, he was then kicked repeatedly in the face until he blacked out.
He was taken to Royal Preston Hospital where he was treated for injuries to his face.
Police responded to a call at 6:30 a.m. where they found Williams still unconscious. Authorities say they are treating the attack as a hate crime.
