Gays are often better off than average. It may be target of opportunity at a target-rich spot... kind of like lions staking out the water-holes. AA thugs aren't that particular in their hate that the law can calibrate the hate and therefore the punishment.
We need much more info than this article is providing. Someone must have been with him because we have a police drawing. The victim was too out of it to provide one. Unless things have changed a lot, I don’t think this area houses a lot of gay bars, although, why knows? I’m just sickened at such a vicious attack.