A trans woman was allegedly assaulted during a sober metal concert at an addiction recovery center in Utah last weekend in what she and her girlfriend suspect may have been a hate crime. 

On Sunday, Anthi Lilly was attending the concert at Fellowship Hall in Salt Lake City, a nonprofit that hosts sober events and parties for recovering alcoholics. 

She told ABC4 that while at the concert, she was standing at the edge of the crowd surrounding a moshpit, where people were aggressively flailing their arms and pushing each other, which is common during metal performances. 

Lilly said that there were ‘two small women’ behind her whom she was trying to protect as moshers ‘were going side to side in what they call crowd killing, and it’s essentially just swinging and hitting the walls of the crowd.’

She added that she had put her arms up to push people back when they got close, but ‘one person, I suppose, took that as a cue to fight.’

‘Next thing I know, I was being thrown to the ground, getting punched in the face, pulling my arms up trying to protect myself,’ Lilly told the outlet.

‘And the next thing I see is another person come in and stomping on my face multiple times, causing … fractures, broken bones and now a very hefty medical bill.’

Lilly added that the assault left her unconscious and that she woke up bloodied as the two men who attacked her pulled her outside. 

A trans woman was allegedly assaulted at a sober metal concert in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Sunday. She is pictured with a black eye

Anthi Lilly said she was trying to protect ‘two small women’ who were standing behind her, which aggressive moshers interpreted ‘as a cue to fight’ 

Lilly suffered a broken cheekbone, according to her girlfriend. The couple said they suspect that the assault was a hate crime

The alleged assault took place inside this nonprofit recovery center called Fellowship Hall, which hosts sober events for recovering alcoholics

A GoFundMe to help pay for medical expenses that was set up by Lilly’s girlfriend, Bailey Lewis, described the assault and its aftermath in more detail.

Lewis said that she and a friend were the two women whom Lilly was protecting and that ‘she paid the price for her bravery.’ 

‘One man grabbed her neck, threw her to the ground, and punched her, while another stomped on her face,’ the girlfriend wrote before adding, ‘There was no security, and nobody stepped in to stop the attack or help her up.’ 

Lewis said that the men were attempting to continue the assault outside and only stopped after she and a friend intervened.  

‘This assault led to a broken cheekbone (ZMC fracture), a long and frightening night at the ER, and conversations with police, crisis workers, and a facial trauma surgeon,’ Lewis wrote on the fundraising page. 

The couple said they suspect the assault was a hate crime because ‘the perpetrator made comments that justified harming a trans woman who was protecting her partner and friend.’

The Salt Lake City Police Department told the Daily Mail it is not investigating the assault as a hate crime, adding that it appeared to be a case of a mosh pit getting out of hand. 

Lilly told ABC4 that she went to the hospital on Sunday and reported the assault to police while there. 

Lilly’s girlfriend, Bailey Lewis (left), set up a GoFundMe to help pay for ‘a very hefty medical bill’ and other expenses. The couple is pictured together

Lilly said she is working with law enforcement to find the suspects who allegedly assaulted her. She is pictured prior to the alleged assault

Lilly’s girlfriend said the couple is thankful to the LGBTQ community and others for an ‘outpouring of love and support.’ Lilly is pictured prior to the alleged assault

No suspects have been identified yet, but Lilly said she has been working with law enforcement to find them. 

On Facebook, she wrote that she blacked out so she has a limited memory of what happened, but noted, ‘It was a WELL LIT venue. Someone out there had to of seen everything.’  

Fellowship Hall, the recovery center that hosted the concert, told ABC4 that it did not organize the event and just provided the space for it to be held. 

The recovery center also shared a statement with the outlet, ‘Our Hearts go out to Anthi Lilly and we’re praying for her speedy recovery. Fellowship Hall has been a safe and sober community for over 50 years. 

‘We in no way condone violence or discrimination of any type or against any person. We are cooperating with police in their investigation in the hopes that justice will be served.’ 

The Daily Mail has reached out to Fellowship Hall for additional comment.

On the GoFundMe page, Lewis wrote that the couple is grappling with overwhelming medical costs, as well as expenses for therapy, medication and rent during recovery. They are also anticipating future legal costs. 

‘We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support from the LGBTQ community, friends, family, and anyone else who is disturbed or affected by this,’ she added.