Texas Man Turns a Casino Night Out Into a LGBTQ Hate Crime

A man from Fort Worth, Texas, is facing hate crime charges after allegedly attacking two same-sex couples outside the MGM Casino in Detroit, and the details are honestly sickening.

A 26-year-old man by the name of  William James Wilson, assaulted four people: a married lesbian couple and their two male friends, who are also a couple.

Around 1 a.m. on July 13, four friends, both same-sex couples, were out enjoying a night together at the MGM Casino in Detroit when the unexpected happened. As they were waiting for a valet outside the casino, a man approached them.

Night Out Turns Into a Hate Crime

The man who has been identified as 26-year-old Willian James Wilson reportedly started throwing slurs and making nasty comments about gender and identity.

One of the women, Chelsi Way, later said the guy went off when he started mocking how she identified, shouting things like “you, he, she” before things turned violent. She ended up in the hospital. Everyone else was shaken and bruised, too.

In a Facebook post, Chelsi wrote:

"We just wanted a safe, fun night together. None of us ever imagined it would end in fear, chaos, and deep trauma. We did everything we could to protect each other, but the violence came so quickly, so brutally, it changed everything in an instant."

Maria Miller, the director of communications for the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, said Wilson acted "maliciously and intentionally acted to cause harm to the victims based in whole or in part based upon their perceived sexual orientation or gender identity."

Detroit police showed up and arrested Wilson on the spot. Now he’s facing multiple charges, including assault, aggravated assault, and four felony counts of hate crime based on sexual orientation and gender identity. That last one alone carries up to five years in prison.

His lawyer is claiming he’s a “family man” with no criminal record and that he was in Detroit for work. They’re currently waiting to review security footage.

It's heartbreaking, and also a terrifying reminder that LGBTQ people still can’t even have a night out without being put in danger.