You may remember Daniel and Larry Lennox-Choate as the first gay couple to marry at West Point. You may also remember when the couple was the subject of a hate crime last summer in downtown New York City.
The 57-year-old attacker, Thomas Clabough, had no way of knowing the couple graduated from the military academy. After throwing some homophobic slurs and a punch at Daniel, Larry retaliated and punched Clabough.
Clabough has pled guilty to assault in the third degree as a hate crime. Pending three days of community service and participation in a restorative justice program at the Museum of Tolerance, he will be eligible to expunge the felony from his record and plea to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct.
Although the Lennox-Choates do believe Clabough should be held responsible for his actions, they were supportive of the plea deal.
Larry told DNAinfo:
"It's a complicated thing to forgive someone who's done and said the things he did. That doesn't mean he shouldn't answer for his crime because I firmly believe everyone should have to take responsibility for his or her actions. But I don't hate him. Where would hating him get us? Wasn't it hate that got us here in the first place?"
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