A man has lost sight in one eye after a recent attack at a nightclub in Melbourne, Australia, The Age reports.

Elliott Harvey, 26, had gone to the Rubix club to see live music. He says that three “aggressive young guys” targeted him because of his hairstyle.

“I think they particularly disliked my haircut, having my hair up in a fountain like this,” Harvey says, referring to his top ponytail. “All the things they said to me were pretty trivial, just homophobic insults.”

Harvey was repeatedly punched in the head and eye. “It was cowardly, really,” he says. “I was on the ground when they punched my eye out.”

The men, believed to be in their 20s, fled the scene after the attack. Two men have been arrested and are expected to be charged.

Despite several operations, Harvey has not regained sight in his right eye. “It’s drastically affected my life,” says the environmental scientist, who can neither work nor enjoy his favorite hobby, surfing. “A lot of the things that make me happy are pretty sad right now.”

Harvey says he still goes out to enjoy live music, but he’s now more cautious and stays closer to his friends.