ORLANDO: Gay Man Assaulted By Gang Of Nine Teenagers, Cops Call It Hate Crime

Orlando police are investigating the assault and beating of a man who was attacked by a gang of nine teenagers after they demanded to know if he is gay.

A brutal beating involving nine teenagers on Monday will be considered a hate crime, authorities with the Orange County Sheriff's Office said. A-20-year-old man told deputies he was walking in the area of Long and Barbara roads when he was approached by the group. The victim told investigators he was asked whether he was gay before the attack. "One asked if I was gay, and I said, 'What if I am?'" the unidentified victim said. The victim, who said he is bisexual, didn't want to use his name because he is scared of the people who attacked him. "The next thing I know, I felt somebody hit me from behind, and then they punched me," the victim said.

The victim, who suffered light injuries, says he plans to move because the gang knows where he lives.