Men claim attack was a hate crime

AUSTIN (KXAN) - A man wants police help after he says he was the victim of a hate crime.

"It just hit me that I'd just been targeted for a hate crime, and I was attacked because I was gay," one of the victims said.

Two members of an all-gay softball team claim they were assaulted and they want it investigated as a hate crime. "Softball Austin" says its mission is to promote an affirming environment for gay athletes to compete.

Two players, though, say they wearing their jerseys during a night out downtown, they were targeted for a beating. Matt Morgan and Emmanuel Winston say they've filed a complaint with A-P-D after a group of men beat them down, yelling slurs, late Friday night

They were walking near Austin City Hall.

"I'm not gonna go through this and nothing...no action be taken. This is a walk that I've made, that probably everyone on this field has made numerous times and felt safe," said victim Matthew Morgan.

Morgan hit a home run during game one of Sunday's Softball Austin doubleheader. His friend Emmanuel Winston wore a bandage on his face in today's doubleheader and sunglasses to cover his swollen eye.

Both men say their attackers seemed surprised that the softball players fought back.

"We want people to know that its not ok to do this and we're taking a stand because we don't want people to live in fear," said victim Emmanuel Winston.

KXAN Austin News has a call into Austin police for more details.