Police in York Region are looking for three men after two people were assaulted outside a Vaughan liquor store on the weekend in a suspected hate-motivated attack in which the assailants allegedly used homophobic slurs.

The men were last seen in a black Nissan Rogue with the Ontario licence plate CLHL733, police say.

In a news release Tuesday, York Regional Police said a  man, 26, and a woman, 27, were assaulted at about 8:30 p.m. Saturday outside the store in the area of Jane Street and Major Mackenzie Drive West.

The pair had left just the store when they were accosted by a group of men who had shown up in the parking lot in the black Nissan Rogue, spokesperson for York Regional Police Sgt. Clint Whitney said on Tuesday.

One of the men allegedly commented on the man's choice of alcohol and uttered "anti-homosexual derogatory slurs" as he approached the him. Whitney said the container of alcohol had "some rainbow colours on it." The woman stepped between them and was assaulted, police said.

Two more men from the vehicle got involved and the man was also assaulted and knocked to the ground, Whitney said. A bystander intervened and the men fled in their vehicle.

The woman required medical treatment for her injuries and went to hospital. The man suffered minor injuries and did not go to hospital.

Incident may be connected to Bud Light controversy

Whitney said police's hate crime unit is involved in the investigation.

"We are looking at the possibility of this being a hate-motivated crime," he said.

Whitney added that there have been reports that the suspect may have believed the victim had come out with a Bud Light can.

Bud Light has been the target of homophobia and transphobia after the beer company collaborated with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, who posted a video of herself cracking open a Bud Light on her Instagram page.

"Whether it was a Bud Light can or another can, it's really inconsequential. But there were indications that was what precipitated the comments from the suspect," Whitney said.

Regardless of the choice of alcohol, the assaults were "completely unacceptable" and "reprehensible," Whitney added.

Police have released two photos of the primary suspect. He is described as 25 to 35, with a slim build, short buzz-cut hair, a tattoo on his jawline and tattoos on both hands. He was wearing a black Adidas jacket with white stripes on the arms, blue jeans and black and white sneakers with orange on the heels.

The second suspect is described as having a black hair and full black beard. He was wearing a red Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal soccer jersey.

Police said the third suspect is male but released no other details.

"It is believed there was a crowd of people nearby at the time of this incident. Any witnesses who have not yet spoken to investigators are asked to come forward," police said in a news release.