Police believe a woman who was punched in the face as she walked her dog in a Gippsland town was the victim of a shocking homophobic attack.

The 26-year-old woman was on a walking track with her dog near Stephenson Park in Sale when she was approached by three men, The Gippsland Times reports.

The t-shirt the woman was wearing when she was attacked.

One of the men then made a remark about the woman's t-shirt, that had a slogan 'Born fabulous, not straight', before punching her in the nose, police said.

The three men then all walked away. They are believe to be aged in their late teens to early 20s, and have been described as Caucasian in appearance and were wearing black jeans and black and grey hooded jumpers at the time of the assault.