Brad Forkner and Christopher Rosevear were walking east across the Hawthorne Bridge Sunday evening vaguely aware of a group of young men behind them.



The two were out for a stroll, said Forkner, 23, of Southeast Portland. It was about 8:30 p.m. and the couple headed for the Esplanade for a view of the city.



And the two men, who are gay, were holding hands.



As they neared the pathway down to the Esplanade, Forkner felt someone push him, knocking him against a railing. Then, he said, fists.



He pulled out a cell phone and called 911 as the attackers hit Rosevear a few more times, Forkner said. They then ran off.



Forkner said he couldn't tell what the attackers were saying. He didn't hear clearly anti-gay epithets. They were yelling, I don't know what, he said, adding that they may have been speaking another language. So much was happening and I couldn't catch onto what was happening.



Police, who met them at the scene, ask anyone with related information to contact Det. Kevin Warren at 503-823–3761. They are investigating the case as a bias crime, noting the lack of provocation by the two men.



The suspects are in their 20s and all about 5-foot-11, police said. One was wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt, another was wearing a white or cream hooded sweatshirt and the third was wearing a brown hooded sweatshirt.



After the attack, Forkner said he and Rosevear went to the emergency room where Rosevear received stitches.



He said he is bothered that there were people on the bridge and others biking by who witnessed the attack, which lasted for about a minute.



"I don't expect them to put themselves in danger," he said. But he was surprised that no one yelled stop or called the police on their behalf. "I think it says something about a culture when people see something like that and don't say anything."



Even afterwards, he said, as they walked away, bloodied and beaten up, they passed people walking their dogs. "They could clearly see something had happened and no one stopped and said Hey are you OK?"



The Q Center, a nonprofit that supports the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities, condemned the attack, noting a similar assault a year earlier.



-- Helen Jung











