We reported on 20-year-old Atlanta native Brandon White, whose vicious bashing at the hands of three men was captured on surveillance video in February. Now his attackers have been sentenced, but it seems like White is getting knocked around all over again.
Christopher Cain, Dorian Moragne and Dareal Demare Williams all plead guilty to attacking White as he approached a grocery store in Southwest Atlanta. The men, who all have previous records, punched and kicked White and hit him with a tire. In the video, which quickly went viral, they can be heard shouting “No faggots in Jack City,” as they kick White on the ground.
During yesterday’s sentencing hearing, Moragne apologized for his part in the crime, admitting the assault wasn’t just an attack on White, but “an attack on the gay community.” He also claimed he wasn’t homophobic, saying “I don’t hate nobody. I’ve got gay family.”
But almost from the start, members of Atlanta’s queer community were rallying to Moragne and Williams’ defense—first claiming White knew his attackers, and even suggesting he provoked the attack, and then asking Judge T. Jackson Bedford for probation rather than lengthy prison sentences for the two.
A group of local LGBT advocates signed a letter given to Bedford asking for leniency. In addition, one member, Xochitl Bervera said she had a “life plan” for Moragne and Williams to help them turn things around, including mentoring, employment skills and anger management.
Sounds like a good deal—how do we get in on it? Oh right, you have to pummel some brutally and call them names.
Another member of the group, Kung Li, said Judge Bedford should know not everyone wanted to her to lock the door on these young men and throw away the key. “When the case got so much publicity and then the presumption that the gay and lesbian community wanted them to serve long prison sentences … that is entirely false,” Li said.
Li and other advocates even organized a rally: We wanted [White] to know we loved him and we were impressed by his bravery. But homophobia is not helped by long-term prison sentences.”
But fear is one hell of a deterrent, no?
Examiner blogger Gregory Kelly was besides himself with frustration over the efforts on the men’s behalf:
Where is the loyalty to the LGBT community in Atlanta? First you have gay members of the community saying that the victim was not beaten because he was gay and now you have LGBT activists begging the court not to hand out precedent justice.
Maybe all this empathy comes from the fact that the criminals are black and young but so was the victim. When the convicted were beating Brandon White they did not scream a racial slur. They screamed the word “faggot” and that is clearly heard in the video.
When will people stop standing in the way of what is right? Why do we have LGBT activists, especially in Atlanta, showing their disloyalty to the community they serve? Empathy, mercy and leniency are given to the ones that deserves it.
These activists and representatives should stop being political opportunists and see that a healing in Atlanta’s gay community is needed. Justice is not the enemy of forgiveness.
We gotta say, he makes a good case.
In the end, all three men were sentenced this afternoon to five years behind bars and five years probation for two counts each of aggravated assault, robbery by force and participation in criminal street gang activity.
At sentencing, Bedford brushed away the idea that this was anything less than a hate crime deserving of swift and sure punishment, calling Williams, Cain and Moragne “the ultimate bullies.”
Dionte
5 years seems long but hate crimes need to be taken very seriously, they showed him no mercy. What if they had killed him? I saw a video of a man in Africa being set on fire alive by fellow humans, they even threw a tire on him. This is not acceptable.
Kev C
It’s because of illicit drugs. Atlanta is the largest drug suppliers in the US. Corruption from drug money goes through everything, straight up to Congressman John Lewis.
justme
I’m black and I don’t give a sh*t that these fools are black. I actually believe that they deserve more time than they received. I cannot imagine the terror that this young man (the victim) must have felt during this attack. I do not understand gay rights groups coming to the attackers aid. If they want to put resources in building relationships with young black men and the gay community for mutual understanding, I am all for it, but do not waste those resources on this trash. I am sure, there are plently of high schools in the area that would be willing to allow some students getting help with life planning and job finding opportunities.
Paul K-
I, too, find the response of the so-called representatives of the gay community baffling. There have always been those on the left that want to co-opt the success of the gay rights movement to further other ends. While partnering with political allies is worthy – you fight for my aims and I’ll fight for yours – here it seems the allies took over the process. The interests of the gay community should control where the issue is predominantly a gay rights issue. It seems here supporters of reforming the criminal justice system represented themselves to be gay rights advocates.
Ronn
@justme: Fellow black gay man here and I totally agree with you. I don’t give a f**k if the victim knew the culprits or not and/or even if the victim really did say something to these hood rats before the attack…he did not deserve to be beaten like that, PERIOD! I am sooo sick and tired of seeing young black men getting into trouble over things that are 100% completely unavoidable. 5 years is totally appropriate to me. And as far as the thug who claimed that he wasn’t homophobic and had gay family. Well those gay family members and/or gay family member needs to visit him in jail and LET HIM HAVE IT!!! I hope that the so called Atlanta GLBT activist that are defending these guys are in a very small minority and that it isnt a representation of the GLBT Atlanta community at large!
Mk Ultra
The message is : beat the fuck out of gays. Bash their heads in. Collapse their lungs. Crush skulls
And then give a nice apolgy in court and all is forgiven. Tell us how you’re really the victim.
Because some “activists” want to seem enligtened.
“Look at me, Ma. Im building bridges. I’m an activist.
And it’s only costing gay people thousands of dollars in hospital bills, their psychological health and saftey”!
We pay te price for their “activism”
Balenci
It infuriates me, that those POLITICALLY MOTIVATED LGBT activist had no concern for the well beng specifically psycholocially and emotionally of the victim, but gave so much to the monsters who jumped on him and could have very well killed him. Anything could have gone even more wrong and once again a young youth would have been murdered, because he was gay. Only less than two years ago, two young gay men were murdered in Atlanta at the hands of a vulture during Atlanta’s Gay pride. You’d think the LGBT in Atlanta would want to send a strong message to homophobics and bullys, that hate crimes carry harsh and stiff penalties which fits the crime. Maybe five years isn’t long enough, but at least those punks will be off the streets for five years giving other young gay people an opportunity to have three less vultures to worry about.
Dave
This guy is 20? I thought he was a kid or teenager!
I think that these men who bashed him should be punished but I’m not sure if putting them into prison or jail is the best thing? There are criminals who actually thrive in jail or prison and do better in there than they do on the outside. Also in jail or prison they join prison gangs and just learn to hate even more.
Cam
“Li and other advocates even organized a rally: We wanted [White] to know we loved him and we were impressed by his bravery. But homophobia is not helped by long-term prison sentences.””
__________________-
This is the self hating attitude you get from growing up in a homophobic small southern town. More worried about what the others will think of you, than in protecting your own community.
Ogre Magi
Kung Li&Xochitl Bervera are defending these gaybashers? I almost can’t believe it! What the hell is going on?
Dan
Both my partner and I knew people in college who were victims of “hate crimes”, despite going to college 800 miles away. In this case, both DID know their victims, and both DID provoke their attacks. Both deserved to get beat-for being assholes, not for being gay. Unfortunately, during their beatings, the word “f****t” did come out more than a few times, and both times the victims whined incessantly about what had been done to them “because they’re gay”. The truth is, if they were straight and behaving as they did, the same words and actions would have probably transpired. Were the attacks motivated by sexual orientation? If they were, it was only tangental to the actual cause of the attacks.
The gay community does itself a disservice by extending “hate crimes” calibre prosecutions to every single attack that happens to involve mean words and homosexuals. I suppose that’s why the local gay community petitioned for leniency. Queerty, with its pro-victimization mentality, clearly spins this as a cut and dry case of a hate crime, but im not convinced. Gay orgs don’t just go batshit insane, and defendants don’t babble on about how their attacks were “against the gay community”. Why don’t you tell us the whole story instead of fueling the victimization and bloodlust from those who think they were “bullied”?
Pathetic
The people on here defending the attackers are sick.
Kev C
@Dan: The 15 or so activists who signed this letter didn’t even contact the victim, Brandon White, about their decision to ask for leniency. And this has been a pattern of excluding the victim from the politics of this crime, starting with Change Atlanta and the community meetings that excluded Brandon White.
How do claim any legitimacy as an lgbt activist or pro-gay politician when you ignore the victim? Fortunately, their pleas fell on deaf ears.
T. Mikel
There is NEVER any excuse for a physical attack on anyone. When it occurs because the victim is a member of the LGBT community or because of ethnic background or the color of one’s skin, it is especially heinous and needs to result in serious punishment. Does one have to be killed for justic to be meted out? That members of the LGBT community attempted to interfere with the course of justice is appalling. These young thugs got what they deserved. My toughts are with Brandon White, the victim, not the bullies. To defend those who persecute us is just sick and morally wrong.
Dan
@T. Mikel: “When it occurs because the victim is a member of the LGBT community or because of ethnic background or the color of one’s skin, it is especially heinous and needs to result in serious punishment.”
No, it’s not “especially heinous”. Violence sucks pretty much no matter what it was done for. Personally, if I’m beaten, I don’t care if it’s because of my sexuality, my choice in music or my bad spray on tan. These laws should be used as deterrents, not a set of special rights designed to elevate homosexuals to a privileged class. These comments just betray the sense of entitlement so common on this website. You are not special. People who beat you for being gay do not deserve more punishment than someone who is beaten for just being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
And for fuck’s sake, can you people stop using the term “bullies”? The kid who gave you wedgie in the 9th grade is not in the same category as someone who beat a defenseless young man.
@Kev C: “How do claim any legitimacy as an lgbt activist or pro-gay politician when you ignore the victim?”
Dear, your victim’s orientation has clouded your worldview. Not everyone needs to directly hear the victim’s sob story to form an opinion. MOST people are able to assess the facts of the situation and form an opinion from there, without the emotional manipulation of fisthand contact.
Kev C
@Dan: Malarkey. These activist and politicians have been playing politics and getting attention for themselves based on this incident! How the fuk do you ignore the victim while getting press or votes because of the crime? These are parasites.
Let’s just say that the gay black community is the worse enemy of gays. Whether defending homophobic rappers, athletes, politicians or Tracy Morgan, gays in the black community love their homophobic cousins more than they love gays of any color.
ousslander
@Dan: I agree with you about hate crimes. However just because your friends acted like assholes does not give the ok for them to be beaten.People have the right to be assholes and say what they like. You don’t have the right to hit someone for being an asshole.
Even if White said something to them or hit on them, does not make it ok for these thugs to attack him.
Ogre Magi
The gay community in Atlanta must be insane!
Oh well
@Dan, something tells me you’re a Log Cabin Republican (as I suspect these ridiculous Atlanta “queer activists” asking for leniency probably are as well), given your “no special rights” nonsense.
Steve Morrison
Shame on the LGBT members trying to get a lenient sentence.. Have they lost their minds? Five years sounds just about right to let others know this behavior will land you in JAIL!
Codswallop
Dan, you’re full of crap with your “entitlement” and “special” rights BS. I agree that Hate Crimes should be narrowly defined, not a charge to be whipped out every time certain words are used during an altercation, but they do have a place and a purpose in our criminal justice system. Ideally Hate Crimes are those where the immediate victim, the person actually being attacked, was chosen because they are a representative of a GROUP and the larger intent is to intimidate that group, strike fear into them. It’s the difference between an arsonist setting fire to an empty house or building and someone burning down a black church, synagogue, gay bar or gay rights organization. It’s the difference between getting into a fight with someone because they spilled a drink on you and setting out to “beat up some queers” so the entire gay community will feel unsafe. Hate Crimes are terroristic in nature because, like a terrorist attack, the target itself isn’t the real goal- the goal is to spread fear to the larger population.
There has been no credible evidence that Brandon White knew his attackers beforehand so the attack on him fits that narrow definition. At least one of his attackers has ADMITTED the attack on him was aimed at the gay community, not Brandon Flowers. And that still applies even IF Brandon Flowers said something to one of his attackers. They singled him out because he was gay and verbally and physically intimidated him and EVERYTHING that followed from that point onward was a consequence of their actions.
Weilly Seeder
Please do not mention color. Is irrelevant here. It happens in all race. Black people are human beans too 🙂 People don’t think in color, but they for’s to do so.
Back to the topic:
I agree that de three guy’s must punish for what they did. I was very sad reading this news. I hope it gets better for Brandon. I really do.
*Sorry for my bad English. I am from the Netherlands.
Heh
Dan is being an “asshole” right now. I wonder if he’d graciously accept the severe and injurious beating at the hands of a raving mob that he says such behavior deserves?
Ronn
@Dan: Dan, I’ll spare you with any name calling and/or other putdowns but you clearly need some educating. Elevated penalties for violence against certain groups people have always and always will exist. These groups range from children all the way to federal employees. If you attack a random man walking down the street and then attack an another random man who just happens to be postal worker, guess which one you’re gonna get more time for attacking? They are hardly “special rights”
Joh
@Dan: Wow
So many words to tell us gays are not special.
Overkill really.
The Southern Belle
My, my, my. I am not surprised at all that a group whom one would think would speak out against violence against them would actually condem the victim instead of the attackers.
Daddy said years ago that there was a peculiar way of thinking amongst minority groups in this great land of ours and that blacks were at the top of the list in this type of thinking. The members of this black LGBT group in Atlanta no doubt sit in the back rows of black churches on Sundays and shout at the top of their lungs with self rightous agreement at every derogatory word that comes out of the mouth of the black preacher when he condems gays of all color from his pulpit. Afterwards, they are the leaders in the aisle and they go kicking and farting to the table to give the con-man their hard earned dollars to keep his message alive (along with a full tank of gas for his Cadillac) for the other true believers to hear.
I guess next these poor lost negroes will lead a march in condemnation of the Eddie Long accusers and demand they give back what they were paid to keep silenced. Lord, O Lord, if you are listening please forgive my ancestors who mistakenly imported these embicilic people to this great nation. It is obvious too late to save them from themselves, literally. This group has no idea how blind they are, nor does their community as a whole either.
KARUADAM
Fore all the HOMO`s in the world! get wepon and be ready!!.
tony burroughs
it’s just a matter of time before they do it again….then what? another slap on the wrist? a few nights behind bars thier wrists will be broken anyway…….lol
tony burroughs
@KARUADAM: In Chicago, the queers carry pistals and mace…lols gay gangs………..yeah
Global Traveler
@Codswallop:
@21.
My Gosh. A well thought out, reasonable, cogent, eloquent explanation and argument. What is this world coming to?
Very good post.
nectarine
it’s pretty clear that our prison system doesn’t rehabilitate people – being in a cage just makes people more angry and traumatized. i don’t think that’s making the world safer for any of us.
the argument that these men’s jail sentence teaches other people a lesson is, i think, a knee-jerk one we’re taught to believe in elementary school. but think about it: even though everyone knows you go to jail if you shoot someone, last i checked, people are still getting shot.
this doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be a response to violence. of course the men who attacked white should not “get away with it” – in fact, i think that the community members that the article talks about, who stepped up and said “this was not ok, and i’m willing to stick by this person and hold them responsible, and make sure they grow and change”- that’s a lot more brave than closing our eyes to our problems and putting someone in a cage for 5 years, hoping the problem will just go away.
and @tony burroughs – it’s really sad to see someone on here making a joke about prison rape.
@cam – sometimes we have more than one “community” to whom we hold allegiance – we can work to end homophobia, and ALSO to end the violence of caging people – look at this book – http://www.queerinjustice.com/
KARUADAM
@tony burroughs: WOW man I love that idea! “GAY” gang M`m M`m. Yes in Clifornia, we got some gay gang as well and if I was a bit younger I would have join them in action ehehehehe;
David
I live here in Atlanta and the reason why they didn’t back Mr. White because he slept with 2 of the gang members and threaten to expose them. That what gets me, if you want to mess around with so called straight men, keep your mouth shut. These boys didn’t want there friends or family to know that they are gay. It’s hard to be gay in a poor ghetto community. We as blacks are very conservative when it come to gay people and there rights. These young men didn’t want to be exposed and picked on by there peers. Then you have this loud mouth queen who want to tell everyone, I had him and him. Come on, he deserves exactly what he got. You straight chasers this is what will happen if don’t keep your mouth shut. KEEP YOUR LEGS CLOSED TO STRAIGHT MEN. I know it feels like you accomplish something but you have to think it’s a reason why there on the down low. Mr. White should have kept it to himself and not want to brag to everyone who he slept with.
the other Greg
@David: Oh that’s it, yeah, they sound really “straight.”
Brian
Gay shame is alive and well.
Global Traveler
David,
Using your reasoning and logic, if a woman has an affair with a married man and then threatens to expose him, then he is justified in beating her nearly to death. I don’t think you’d go along with that “reasoning”. There is no difference. At the end of the day, if the guys on the DL didn’t want to be exposed, then they probably shouldn’t have been having sex a “loud mouth queen”, or any other men, and then they wouldn’t have to concern themselves with being exposed.
Saying that you as a community are very conservative and using it as an excuse for violence doesn’t work. I’m sure that everyone in your community is horrified when they read about “honor killings” within the Muslim community (I’m not anti Muslim, just using it as an extreme example). I doubt that you’d accept that’s it’s simply in their culture to kill a woman accused of adultery.
There clearly wasn’t justification to resort to violence, hence their lengthy prison sentences.
David
@global traveler. I don’t advocate violence, but if a woman is having an affair with a married man she must be ready for actions come her way. You reap what you sow. Growing up black and gay is not as easy as growing up white and gay. I know from personal experience growing up in the bible belt of america. There are some many of us in the closet, because of church and family. When you have young black men living in the hood, they way of handling things are some much different than someone growing up in the suburbs. These guys felt threaten and they reacted the only way they knew how. It may not be right, but you have to look at the environment they live in. Brandon didn’t even want to press charges against these guys. Police had to hunt him down and then he gave them multiply stories. After all pressure from the community he came forward. He knew he was wrong in the beginning. If you are secretly messing around with someone, keep quiet. That’s why it’s a secret or stop targeting these so called homo thugs for a good time. These homo thugs are already off balance.
Global Traveler
David,
While I disagree with your basic premise, I’m not so arrogant as to think that I know better than you the mindset of someone growing up under these circumstances. It sounds as though you’re well acquainted with it, and it’s completely foreign to me.
Kev C
@David: Brandon denies knowing them. Uploading a video to the internet is not really how you keep something on the DL. This was actually a fairly common gay bashing. They see someone who looks gay, and Brandon was wearing skinny pants which homophobes hate. They planned to attack him when they saw him, waited and started filming before he came out of the store.
Most gay bashers are never captured. Many times, the victims never report the crime because of embarrassment or fear. And when caught, gay bashers often resort to claiming to be gay themselves, or to having gay friends and family. A typical lie.
David
@Kev. The local news here WSBTV reported that the accuse knew his attackers that’s why he didn’t come forward. When the gay community went and talk to Brandon he didn’t admit to it until later on.There where several guys in the video. All those guys had to do is point him out and the rest his history. He past them to go into the store, why not jump him then. When Brandon admitted that he was with two of the guys that’s when the local gay leaders stop supporting him because he lied about the whole incident. It was played out here on the local news. Everyone in Atlanta knows this. I understand what you’re saying , but in this case he lied. That’s is why they sent a letter to the judge asking him not to be so hard on the punishment. Which he did. They are walking around now. They got 5 yrs with 5 yrs probation.
Kev C
@David: Brandon never admitted knowing them. Those are claims made by the attackers. Malicious rumors are not facts.
Brandon showed signs of dissociative trauma. He was traumatized by the attack. Trauma diminishes functioning capacity and judgement. That’s why society should stand up for the victim … and not the people who caused the trauma.
Global Traveler
David,
It sounds as though you think that all the blame lies with the victim, and none with the attackers. The fact is that no matter what someone says about you, you have no right to cause them physical harm. Let alone get a posse of thugs to set upon one unarmed person.
They can come up with all the excuses they want, but none of them change the facts that they initiated a physical confrontation that caused great physical harm and only through some luck didn’t result in a fatality. Personally I think that five years was way too lenient. If three men had beaten a woman like this, they’d be in jail for decades.
Making excuses for thug mentality isn’t doing the thugs any favors. It’s just reinforcing their belief that they are above the law, and that violence is the way to solve anything.
BALENCIAGA
To Dan, David and all the other people who sought to blame the victim on whatever capacity, I will await the Lord to deal with you all in whatever way he deems in his infinite wisdom. But in the meantime, I have a few words for you. In the first place, until the victim says that he knew the attackers and had this alleged affair with one of them, rumors and accusations from the attempted murderers will fall on death ears.
I know your types. You all are more than likely either gay people who love homo thugs, or what a lot of people in Atlanta call “TRADE” (so-called straight men who get with gay guys on the dl) or you’re straight people who hate gay people and you’re using this crime as a way to further show your disdain for gay people. You all are not fooling me one bit.
Let’s play your game for a minute, let’s say that the lie the attempted murderers told was the truth, that the victim knew the criminals and even had sex with one of them. Unless he had a gun and forced the guy’s sexual organ into his anal canal, he still did not deserve an attempt on his life. And as for the lies that he was going to out the scum bag, that still does not give him the right to attempt murder against someone. Neither does flirting. Look at how many men constantly cat call at women on a daily basis. I would guess that al east 60% of those women do not want those fools flirting or cat calling at them, yet you do not see them gathering a bunch of men to go and attempt murder on the guy.
These criminals go after who they feel are weak and vulnerable, plain and simple. I cannot begin to talk about how many gay men have been attacked for merely walking to the subway station, or going shopping or leaving a night club. So take your sick and nutty analogies of why these criminals attack gay people and shove it up your behinds. Nobody wants or needs you all trying to defend someone who tried to kill a person, but for the Grace of God id did not happen. If a person was so mad at someone for spreading something about him, why would he need a gang of thugs to attack one skinny little young person.
All of you should be ashamed of your mere existence. And if something like this ever happens to you or a loved one, think back to your sick and disgusting posts on this thread.
BALENCIAGA
I apologize “DAVID” I did not mean to include your name. Your comment was the last one I read, which is why your name was still in my thoughts. I agree with everything you posted.
BALENCIAGA
On second thought, David you were one of the guys I intended to include. I am so pissed off, I can’t even think straight. You’re the one who made up the lie abou the TV reporter. There is nothing any where who stated that he admitted to anything. I googled and searched. Nice try, but not good enough. But like I said you are giving these attempted murderers an excuse. And do not say you’re not, because if you don’t think knowing their victim was an excuse for them to attempt murder, then why bring it up. If it has no merit to their attack, why mention it.
SICKO
Paul
Shame on the cowards who defend this boys attackers. What disgusting people you are.
Geoff B
They should have been charged with attempted murder and gotten life. Let them die in prison. Fuck all this “teachable moment” bullshit. Lock them up and throw away the key, or better give them a date with a gurney and a needle. It’s not like we’re gonna lose the cure for cancer keeping these scum alive.
greg smith
@Dionte: Dareal mothers testified in court and said just that “Yawl could have killed that boy!”
greg smith
There LBGTQ groups at the hearing that have advocated no jail time be serve because they feel the justice system does not work. This has created again a major division in the community. The groups included Lambda Legal, Southerners On New Ground, Queer Progressives and Reprodutive Justice. In addition to Simone Bell an openly gay state legislators. The LBGTQ supporters were decided to collaborate with the same defense team that accuse Brandon White of knowing his attackers and going before the media and said that he lied.
• The LBGTQ group representatives meet with the defendants and their families to develop alternative methods of sentencing.
• The LBGTQ group representatives were writing questions down for the Defense Attorneys to ask Mr. Brandon White while on the stand.
• The LBGTQ group representatives were took the stand on behalf of the defenders and testified they were representing the LBGTQ community
• The LBGTQ group representatives had submitted a letter to the Judge and Fulton County Prosecuting Attorney requesting probation and/or community service only.
The community is rage over Lambda Legal and State Representative Simone Bell’s (first openly gay African American lesbian in the state legislator) support for probation and/or community service only. The original letter we received on Monday, July 9th did not have Rep. Bell’s name on it.
We are advocates for the victims of violent crimes not advocates for changing a justice system we know that is broken. When Brandon was asked by the District Attorney and media what he thought of their actions “I do not believe they should get probation or community service.”
KW
THIS is why LGBT should not become collectively politically active. Because every so often, some radical bunch of assholes with their priorities all wrong, wants to start rooting for the bad guys, in our name.
Kev C
@greg smith: But what accounts for their behavior? They can’t all be self-hating gays or badboy criminal sympathizers. It really sounds like payola.