Philly Gay Couple Allegedly Attacked by Group in Possible Hate Crime

A same-sex couple was attacked and robbed in Philadelphia Thursday night in what may be an anti-gay attack, Philly.com reports.

The authorities have not released the names of the couple, but the website identifies their ages as 27 and 28. The men were walking in the Center City area around 10:45 p.m. when they were confronted by two males and between six or seven females, according to Capt. Frank Banford, commanding officer of Central Detectives.

One of the people in the group allegedly asked the men if they were a couple, Banford told the website.

"Yes, do you have a problem?" one of the men said to the group, Branford said.

The group then allegedly beat the two men, punching and kicking them in the face, head and chest. During the attack, one of the men dropped a bag and one of the attackers took it before they fled.

According to NBC Philadelphia, witnesses said the man in the group specifically asked the couple, "Is that your fucking boyfriend?"

Witness Geoff Nagle told the news station: "It was a bunch of screams at first...a lot of punching and kicking."

An anonymous witness claims the group hurled anti-gay slurs.

"It was surprising that it happened in front of me, I never witnessed a hate crime based on that," the witness told NBC Philadelphia.

A friend told the station the couple has been together for 10 years.

The 27-year-old man was taken to nearby hospital Hahnemann University Hospital. He suffered a bone fracture in his face and underwent surgery on Sunday. The other man was released from the hospital.

Banford said that detectives are reviewing a number of surveillance videos in the area to help track down the attackers.

Though police have not released a description of the group, authorities say the male suspects had a "husky" build, brown hair and were wearing brown shirts and shorts, according to NBC Philadelphia.