Change Atlanta apologizes for their Foolish actions against Brandon White

After their foolish actions blew up in their face, Change Atlanta front apologizes for 'appearing' to turn his back on Brandon White.

GA Voice reports

Many in Atlanta's LGBT community are criticizing Change Atlanta on Facebook and various websites for the group’s apparent about-face in its support of Brandon White, the young gay man who was beaten in a filmed attack that went viral on the internet.
Now one of the leaders of the fledgling group says he has “learned his lesson” in how he dealt with the incident, which he acknowledges included questioning whether White was lying about knowing the attackers, “cuddling up” with one of the suspect's defense attorneys on TV and not understanding that many in the LGBT community have been victims of anti-gay violence.

"Yes, we have gotten some flack. And I'm glad I'm learning this lesson at 21 rather and not at 41,” Devin Barrington-Ward said told the GA Voice in an interview Feb. 28. “My youth and immaturity played into this. I will always reflect back on this when I'm 60 or 70.”

Change Atlanta is not specifically an LGBT advocacy organization but has several gay leaders. Ward said he wants to take responsibility for his actions, and how he deals with his mistake will determine if he will be welcomed back into the larger LGBT community.

"This is a touchy subject in the LGBT community. Many people have told me they have been victims, their friends have been victims or their family members have been victims. I'm a young man and I made a mistake,” Ward said.

Yes, you did make mistake and it was costly. Change Atlanta's rush to judgment could have frighten many LGBT victims to stay silent. They should have known better to hold two televised press conferences using assumptions and rumors.

Perhaps next time, they will think before they act.