Alberto Vasquez, a gay hairdresser, was brutally assaulted on April 5th after leaving an LGBTQ+ bar in West Hollywood. (GoFundMe/Instagram)
Gay celebrity hairstylist Alberto Vazquez was left in intensive care and had part of his skull removed after a violent attack outside a West Hollywood nightclub.
The 53-year-old man was attacked at around 8pm local time on April 5th after leaving Heart Weho, an LGBTQ+ nightclub in the Rainbow District of West Hollywood, California.
After the attack, Vazquez spent more than a week in intensive care, where part of his skull was removed to relieve pressure on his brain, the Daily Mail reported.
His sister, Gloria Jimenez, told the publication that the family believes the attack may have been a hate crime, noting that “no one was robbed” during the attack.
“He has injuries all over his body, in his neck. I don’t know if he’ll ever be the same,” Jimenaz said.
“He’s the type of guy who wouldn’t harm anyone that we know for a fact. I mean, he’s harmless, and it would be awful to leave him almost dead.”
A GoFundMe set up on behalf of Vasquez’s family by Brett Foreman to cover medical and living costs has raised around $60,000 (£48,218) at the time of writing.
Comments left on the fundraiser share support for the hairdresser and wish him a speedy and full recovery.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the crime but has not yet made any arrests.
The Oakland Pony Studio where Vazquez worked posted on Instagram after the attack, asking people to donate to his GoFundMe.
“We do not know whether he was attacked randomly by a stranger in a potential homophobic or racist hate crime, or by someone he interacted with at the bar,” the post said.
New York City hair colorist Joseph Mullen also posted the heartbreaking news on his Instagram.
“Alberto, our dear friend, talented hairdresser, and all-around wonderful person, needs our help and support,” he wrote in a post sharing the GoFundMe link. wrote.
