Jack City gang members Dorian Moragne, 21, Christopher Caine, 19, and Darael Damare Williams, 18, were sentenced to 5 years in prison and 5 years’ probation today on federal and county charges. All three pleaded guilty to targeting and beating Brandon White for his sexual orientation in Atlanta, Georgia in February 2012.
The three attacked White, 20, as he exited a store. Shouting antigay slurs, the gang members used a cell phone to record beating him up, throwing a tire at him, and stealing his phone, says the AJC.com. White, humiliated, initially didn’t report the incident to police. When his attackers posted the video online, though, he changed his mind. “I feel that they wanted the attention,” he told the HuffingtonPost.com. “They wanted to make themselves look like they were brave or strong, but in my opinion, I'm the brave one.”
The sentencing comes at an interesting time: 6 days after Christian group Exodus International admitted its attempts to cure homosexuality were wrong and caused harm (see picture and TheCelebrityCafe.com); 1 day after the Supreme Court ruled that Georgia, along with 8 other states, can no longer be considered a discriminatory state—see TheCelebrityCafe.com—and only hours after gays were given equal rights in marriage, which some consider one of the last steps toward making gays equal with straights.
For a press release and video of the beating, see