Gay-Bashing Arrest In Atlanta Case

Progress being made in hate-crime investigation.

A few days after graphic footage of an Atlanta teenager being beat up by a gang went viral on the Internet, the victim came forward, and police arrested the first of three suspects.

From The Atlanta Journal-Constitution :

Atlanta Police arrested one of three suspects in the videotaped beating of a 20-year-old gay man in southwest Atlanta early Saturday, the same day the community held a rally to denounce rampant crime and violence.

Christopher Cain was taken into custody without incident around midnight in the DeKalb County portion of the city, police said. He was charged with aggravated assault and robbery and transported to the Fulton County Jail.

Police say they now have identified all three men who allegedly took part in the beating of the man, kicking and punching him while shouting anti-gay invectives.

Brandon White was attacked last Saturday in front of a corner market at 1029 McDaniel Street in the southwest Atlanta neighborhood of Pittsburgh by men identified as members of the 1029 Jack City Gang.

Video footage of the attack came to the attention of police and the FBI when it was posted online, and federal authorities are considering seeking federal hate crime charges against the suspects. ...

Police have not released the names or suspected whereabouts of the two other alleged assailants, but a $15,000 reward is offered for information leading to their capture and prosecution. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers Atlanta, 404-577-8477. ...

Lady Gaga Obama Bullying

Lady Gaga Wants to Meet With Obama Over Bullying

From the Associated Press (via The New York Times) :

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lady Gaga wants to meet with President Barack Obama about her concerns over bullying.

Gaga expressed sadness over Twitter Wednesday about the suicide death of a 14-year-old New York boy who had complained in an online video about being bullied over his sexuality.

The pop singer tweeted to her 13.7 million followers: "I am meeting with our President. I will not stop fighting. This must end."

A Democratic official said Gaga plans to attend an Obama fundraiser next week on the West Coast but no private meeting has been scheduled. The official spoke on condition of anonymity and was not authorized to speak publicly about the fundraiser.

In videos, Jamey Rodemeyer described being taunted in his school hallways and receiving hateful messages online before his suicide death Sunday outside his home in Williamsville, N.Y. The video was part of the "It Gets Better Project," which is meant to give hope to gay teens.

In his blog, Rodemeyer referred to himself as gay and made frequent references to suicide and to his idol, Lady Gaga, who often sings about acceptance of gays and lesbians.

Rodemeyer's parents said the boy had been bullied for years but appeared to be doing better since beginning high school a few weeks ago.

Police are investigating whether criminal charges should be filed in the case. New York state doesn't have an anti-bullying law but authorities have said bullies could be charged with harassment or aggravated harassment.

The White House held a conference on bullying prevention in March to discuss bullying, estimating that it affects 13 million students, or about a third of those attending school. Obama said then he hoped to "dispel the myth that bullying is just a harmless rite of passage or an inevitable part of growing up. It's not."