A Halifax man says gay-bashing continues to be an issue in the city and he's got the bruises to prove it.

In the cozy apartment Sean Christie shares with his mother, tea time has become a welcome diversion since the events of last weekend.

Christie says he was attacked and beaten by a man outside a popular club in Halifax Sunday morning.

Christie says he often wears makeup and some women’s clothing during his daily life as a delivery driver. But, he says it has never been a problem, until he was attacked on his first night out on the town in about six weeks.

Earlier in the night, Christie says he intervened during an altercation between one of his friends and someone who had been asked to leave the bar.

After Christie left, he says he was jumped minutes later while walking on Barrington Street.

“The guy that jumps in grabs ahold of me and just starts attacking me and starting giving like, homophobic references, like, ‘Us little queers think we can punch around whoever we want.'"

Battered and bleeding, Christie called 911 and was taken to hospital by ambulance.

Halifax Regional Police confirm a suspect was identified and spoken to at the scene of the assault.

Police say the investigation is ongoing, but no charges have been laid.

“I worry that sometimes the police, or the community, just looks at these assaults as just an assault,” Christie says.

Christie’s mother Keitha Shea says she is in disbelief.

“For someone to focus on his face like that over and over… I just can’t believe it, really, that it would be that hateful,” says Shea.

Adam Reid, the executive director of Halifax Pride, says the organization is dedicated to educating everyone on respecting each and every individual.

“I can only imagine the trauma that a person experienced when they’ve been attacked,” says Reid.

Reid also says, while hate crimes are rare, hateful behaviour isn’t.

“Incidences that are sort of happening downtown, in clubs, maybe people getting drunk and sort of losing control.”

“To have a hard time within 50 feet of the gay bar… that should be the one place I should be safe,” Christie says.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Bruce Frisko.

Sean Christie identifies as non-binary, but he asked that male pronouns be used in this article.