Nonbinary Commuter Says They Were Beaten, Shoved Off NYC Subway, and Threatened with Homophobic Slur After Bumping Couple

A nonbinary New York City commuter said they were assaulted after accidentally bumping into a couple on the subway.

Hunter Greer, 27, told NBC News that they accidentally grazed the elbow of someone sitting next to them on a northbound 1 train Sunday evening. That’s when the person allegedly became confrontational, hurling a homophobic slur in Greer’s direction. 

“They were continuing to yell slurs at me, and she threatened to break my nose if I didn’t get the f— off the train. At that point, they were determined to kick me off the train,” Greer told the news outlet. 

Greer said they began recording the interaction. A video reviewed by NBC showed one of the two individuals kicking Greer's phone out of their hands. The two continued to allegedly harass Greer for multiple stops on the train. 

“I was literally doing nothing. So I just stayed in my seat. I was like, listen, y’all can move, y’all can do whatever. But I didn’t do anything to you, and leave me alone,” Greer said. 

Greer added that one of the two punched them in the face and forced them off the train around the 116th Street subway station near Columbia University. Greer noticed blood on their face after getting off the train and received assistance from bystanders on the platform. 

One bystander offered Greer an ice pack for their face. Others called police to the scene. Emergency personnel took Greer to the hospital, where they received treatment for a fractured nose and cuts to the mouth and nose.

Greer told NBC that they were wearing an Apple Watch with a rainbow wristband at the time. 

“Like, if it can happen when I’m just sitting down on a train and quietly reading a book because someone decides that I’m queer, then it’ll happen,” Greer said. 

The New York Police Department in a statement to The Messenger confirmed they were aware of the incident and said officers are looking for the individual accused of assaulting Greer.

"The individual is described as a female with a light complexion and a medium build," the NYPD said in its statement. "She has gauge earrings, a nose piercing and a tattoo on her left arm."

It's the second reported instance in a week of a New York straphanger allegedly assaulting a fellow commuter for a perceived slight. The NYPD on Thursday arrested a man suspected of hurling a 74-year-old grandfather onto the subway tracks after he made eye contact.