Lascarro told NBC that he was confronted by a woman behind him in line who told him he needed to say 'excuse me' after he turned around. He tried to avoid the situation and leave, but multiple bystanders decided to block the door until he 'apologized.' One of the assailants then told Lascarro 'I'm going to teach you how to say sorry, f----t,' after which several people began to 'punch [him] all over.'
Lascarro's husband, Stuart West, who was not with him at the time of the attack, has launched a GoFundMe to cover 'medical bills, therapy costs, and ongoing recovery needs will continue to increase and any help to ensure he gets the care he needs to regain his health.' West stated that 'the whole process has been quite the experience for him, since he is a newly DC resident, and U.S. Permanent Resident from Colombia.'
'Thankfully, he is doing better - recovering physically but still wounded mentally,' West told The Advocate. 'The lingering fear is creating depression and anxiety that he is now trying to work through. I feel that he will recover from this, with time and support.'
Thomas' case shares similarities with another incident in August, in which a gay couple was assaulted by a group of people at a D.C. Shake Shack after they kissed. This highlights the worrying trend of targeted violence against LGBTQ+ individuals in the area.
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