A man was badly beaten Saturday evening at the intersection of 6th St. and Cedar Ave. after the suspect, Abdirizak Mohamed, asked the man if he was gay. When the man "proudly answered ‘yes,’" Mohamed hit him several times in the face and told the victim that he hated homosexuals, according to Fox 9 News.

Mohamed was charged with fourth degree assault with bias which enhances the charge.

The victim has asked to remain anonymous but is "urging people to build a community of tolerance," he told Fox 9 News.

The attack comes a week before hundreds of thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, and their friends and family, descend on Minneapolis for Twin Cities Pride.

Last month, a report by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs showed a sharp increase in anti-LGBT violence in Minnesota.