Turning a Homophobic Attack Into a Trans Rights PSA
Bigot ridicules a gay Jewish man for his religion, sexual orientation
BY MATT TRACY
A bigot was caught on
video lashing out at
a gay Jewish man in
a Manhattan subway
station on September 9, but that
scary moment suddenly turned
into a positive opportunity when
the victim used the incident to
raise awareness about the plight of
transgender and gender nonconforming
people of color.
In a video tweeted out by Adam
Eli, who boasts nearly 5,000 followers
and identifi es in his Twitter
profi le as a community organizer,
active with Voices4, and writer in
the city, the homophobe is seen accusing
Eli of “desecrating the name
of God.”
Eli stated in the tweet that the
man “was upset that I was wearing
a pink kippah, carrying a purse,
and had a Pride patch sewn onto
ACTIVISM
my jeans.”
The yet-to-be-identifi ed harasser
pointed at Eli before walking toward
him outside of the 28th Street
R and W train station on Broadway
in Manhattan. Eli continued to retreat
as the bigot grew increasingly
angry with him.
“Stay in the closet!,” the unhinged
homophobe screamed.
“Take your kippah off! This is not
Judaism!”
The sleazy creep proceeded to
ramble on about how Eli is “an
abomination,” but then some
shocked folks in the street were
seen forming somewhat of a wall
blocking him from continuing to
harass Eli.
In the end, Eli was able to escape
the scene without suffering
any physical harm. He told CBS
New York that he did not fi le a po-
TWITTER/ @AEWERNER
Adam Eli, left, kisses a man as he holds a sign that expresses his pride in his full identity.
➤ ADAM ELI, continued on p.17
BUSINESS PROFILE
BURGERS & BOURBON WITH BACON
Daytripper
By Camille Sperrazza
If the smell of bacon
makes you drool, head to
Daytripper, the female-owned
restaurant and bar in the
East Village.
Sure you can indulge in one
of their specialty burgers,
topped with bacon – but better
yet, you can wash it down
with bacon infused bourbon.
That’s right. Daytripper
makes its own infused
whiskeys and tequilas in
house, and here they create
a “Better with Bacon” oldfashioned
by infusing bourbon
with bacon for a few days.
Now that’s a crisp idea.
V e g e t a r i a n s a r e n ’ t
overlooked either as another
unique cocktail is “Thyme
Will Tell,” featuring tequila,
thyme, lime, and blood orange
on you.
Daytripper was known as
East Village Tavern when
it opened July 4, 2018,
with a selection of zany
cocktails inspired by New
York neighborhoods: Hell’s
Kitchen Sink, Hudson Yard
Sale, Dumbo Daze, and SoHo
Style. There were even a few
salutes to our neighbors:
Montauk to Me and Jersey
Shore Thing. But with the
recent re-opening, changes are
expected to the cocktail menu,
so stop by for the still-evolving
selection of new and crazy
concoctions. Maybe you’ll
discover that, this time, your
neighborhood made the cut.
A re-vamped food menu
is in the works, too, but
will continue to highlight
American comfort food, with
build-your-own burgers,
house specialty burgers, and
scrumptious chicken tenders.
Pasta meals complete with a
salad and bread round out the
dinner selections.
Daytripper’s reputation
as a bar where everyone
knows your name remains
intact. Christine Tripi, one
its owners, assures, “You
won’t keep to yourself when
to socialize when there are
bar games like Beer Pong,
foosball, and darts. The
fun vibe, with lots of locals,
personifies the welcoming,
friendly atmosphere.
Not to mention that it’s
almost always “Happy
Hour,” with $5 draft beers,
$6 glasses of wine, and $7
cocktails offered Mondays
through Fridays, from 11:30
am – 7:30 pm.
And if your friends call you
a “know-it-all,” challenge
them on Trivia Tuesdays,
at 9 pm, and prove it. They
Sunday evenings from 7pm-
2am with happy hour pricing.
The re-branding includes
some remodeling, like the
giant mural on the back wall,
a geometric pattern that Tripi
says reminds her of a giraffe.
The bar is black and copper,
and there’s lots of open space,
!
terms of planning activities.
For example, it is a great
venue for parties and private
events, with or without
tables. Up to 100 people can
be accommodated, and they
will work with any budget.
Sections can also be set aside
for smaller parties, too.
Daytripper 158 Ave. C,
corner of 10 Street in the East
Village, (646) 590-7929, www.
daytripperles.com. Open
every day, 11:30 am – 2 am.
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