A woman alleges that a prominent LGBTQ+ activist elbowed her in the chest during a New York City protest after she challenged his support for transgender medical treatment for minors. The alleged confrontation was captured in video supplied by the woman.
Christiane Torello said she was participating as a counter-protester outside Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan on Nov. 5 when Jay Walker allegedly struck her. Walker is president of Gays Against Guns and was also named a 2026 NYC Pride Grand Marshal.
Walker attended the demonstration with others protesting Mount Sinai’s September decision to stop providing transgender treatments to minors as part of an agreement to resolve a Department of Justice investigation into youth gender-transition procedures.
“The hospital is no longer providing any type of gender-affirming care for minors, including surgeries, puberty blockers and hormones,” Torello told News Media. “There’s always a group of individuals who go to these protests to show their discomfort and displeasure with the hospital stopping these procedures because they want the children to transition. I usually go there in opposition to them. I support the hospital’s decision to stop providing that care. I always go by myself and ask questions.”
A man identified as Jay Walker was part of a group rallying against Mount Sinai Hospital’s decision in September to end transgender treatments for minors. (Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images)
In footage recorded by Torello, she can be heard asking Walker why he wanted to “have penises in the locker room” as he shouted and walked away along the sidewalk. The video then shows Walker stopping, drawing back his elbow and apparently hitting her in the chest before repeatedly telling her to “get away from me.”
Torello said protesters frequently try to impede her movement or push signs close to her face, but she described this encounter as significantly more aggressive than previous demonstrations she has attended.
“I’m usually followed around the protest by two or three people. They block me and put signs in my face, which is fine because they’re allowed to do that. But this time, it became particularly violent,” Torello said.
“When I asked the organizer of the protest, Jay Walker, what size dongs he’d like in the girls’ locker room, he didn’t have an answer. They never have answers to those questions. They don’t like to talk about it,” she continued.
Torello said Walker yelled slurs at her as he left the protest, prompting her to follow him and press him further about his remarks.
She alleged that Walker struck her with his elbow and said she believed he was aiming for her face but missed.
“As we were walking, he stopped in front of me, wound up his elbow and blasted me in the chest,” she said. “He’s about 6’5″ and I’m 5’5″, so I’m pretty sure he intended to hit me in the face but had pretty bad aim and hit me in the chest.”
Torello continued down the street behind Walker after the alleged incident.
Christiane Torello accused Jay Walker of hitting her in the chest with his elbow as he was leaving the protest. (Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The recording captures Torello and Walker shouting and swearing at each other as they walked away from the protest.
Walker can be heard calling her “psychotic,” “scumbag,” a “garbage person” and a “stalker.” Torello, meanwhile, accused him of being a “woman abuser.” At one point, Walker allegedly lunged toward her. She challenged him to “do it again” and said she would share the footage online.
“I’m so glad I got it on camera,” she shouted at Walker.
Torello said she reported the confrontation to the New York City Police Department, though she expressed doubt that prosecutors would bring charges.
“I want to press charges because I feel like New York doesn’t do anything when it comes to a lot of violence,” she said. “But this is a different type of violence. I have a First Amendment right to be there and peacefully protest. I wasn’t hitting anybody. Do I ask questions that may be annoying or triggering? Sure. But that’s the extent of what I do. That doesn’t warrant me getting hit, elbowed or punched.”
Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City moved to end transgender treatments for minors in September to resolve a Department of Justice investigation. (Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)
“This is actually the second time a man has put his hands on me at a protest,” she continued. “The first happened about a month and a half ago. There were two NYPD detectives in front of that other protest who watched me get hit, and they didn’t even talk to me. I asked them if they could direct me somewhere, and they wouldn’t say one word to me. I had to figure it out on my own. I filed a report, and nothing happened to that man either.”
Authorities have not said whether anyone will be arrested in connection with the alleged assault.
The NYPD and Gays Against Guns NY did not respond to News Media’s multiple requests for comment.
“I just really hope this brings some awareness and puts pressure on the NYPD to do something, because they don’t do anything at all,” Torello said.