Rod 2.0:Beta

WATCH: "Love" by Openly Gay Singer Nhojj Tops MTV 100

Topping the MTV Top 100—and that's ahead of Justin Bieber, Ke$ha and the ubiquitous Taylor Swift—is "Love" by Nhojj. If you aren't familiar with the black, openly gay, Guyana-born independent artist, he made OUTMusic Awards history when he became the first black male to win an OMA.  That was for the soulful, haunting ballad "Love", the theme song to OUT 100 honoree Kirk Shannon Butts' critically-acclaimed black gay love story "Blueprint".

Nhojj appears as the angel of love in the video, which, like the film, is about the instant attraction of Keith and Nathan, two black college students, and and the day they spent together. "Blueprint" was critically-received on the LGBT and art film circuit. It's available on VOD and the DVD will be released next week.

You may recall that Nhojj was part of the Gay by God campaign, joining Pastor Joseph W.Tolton other black gay activists with a full page newspaper advert in response to Donnie McClurkin's hateful "ex-gay" and anti-gay rants. Says Nhojj: "God is love, so wherever love exists, God exists. Same gender love is just as right and good as any other – because love is at the core. hat is what I want to share with the world.”

Nhojj and Kirk-Shannon Butts are friends to Rod 2.0. Congratulations to them both for their success and congratulations to Nhojj for his incredible reception by MTV's audience. Watch the video AFTER THE JUMP...

Tiger Woods Hires Former George W Bush Spokesman Ari Fleischer ...

To help "repair" Tiger Woods' image and "facilitate his wildly anticipated comeback." Srsly.

Two sources in the golf community have told The Post that Ari Fleischer, the former presidential advisor to George W. Bush and the man who was brought in to help repair the steroid-shattered image of Mark McGwire, has been huddling with Woods, plotting a strategy for his return to golf — at the Arnold Palmer Invitational starting March 25 at Bay Hill in Orlando, Fla. “They were in his living room this week going over a strategy for how to handle Bay Hill in two weeks,” one source told The Post.  

Knowing he eventually has to stand before everyone publicly and take questions—something he didn’t do in that bizarre orchestrated 131⁄2-minute ramble on Feb. 19—is why Woods sought out the advice of Fleischer, who in 2008 formed Ari Fleischer Sports Communications. The firm, which focuses on crisis response and control, is a joint venture with IMG Sports & Entertainment. Woods is represented by IMG. Fleischer, who served as presidential press secretary from January 2001 to July 2003 before leaving for a career as a consultant, worked with McGwire after the disgraced slugger had gone into hiding following his embarrassing refusal to answer questions about his steroid use before a congressional committee in 2005.

The New York Post neglects to mention Ari Fleischer's other credentials: As the White House spokesman in the lead-up to the Iraq War, the accuracy of many of Fleischer's claims has been disputed, to put it mildly. And Fleischer was an instrumental figure in the Valerie Plame case and later testified that he had revealed the CIA agent's identity to reporters.

Heckuva job, Tiger.

Tanz Watson for ECKO S/S 2010

Tanz Watson, one of the hot new faces and bodies at red hot Red Model Management, is featured in the Ecko Unltd S/S 2010 print campaign. Another image AFTER THE JUMP ...

Lenny Kravitz Cast as Andrew Young in Lee Daniels "Selma"

Lenny Kravitz had a small role in the Oscar-winning "Precious". Now there is word that out filmmaker Lee Daniels has cast the stylish rocker in his next film "Selma", his biopic about the historic 1965 civil rights march. No small role this time, Kravitz tells MTV News.

"The next role is Andrew Young in a film called 'Selma,' directed by Lee Daniels," Kravitz said. Young was a significant figure in the Civil Rights movement, someone who worked very closely Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And while the story details for "Selma" aren't really out there yet, Young did aid King Jr. in planning a Civil Rights Campaign in Selma, Alabama. Young was also jailed in that same city for participating in a demonstration there.Kravitz acknowledges that this is going to be a significant step up, moving from his "Precious" nurse to Young, a King Jr. collaborator who was at times the Mayor of Atlanta, a Congressman and the United States ambassador to the United Nations. Kravitz is aware of all of this. As he said, "I gotta bring it."

Yep, Kravitz will have to bring it. Andrew Young was one of King's top lieutenants, it's likely Kravitz would get significant screen time.

Robert De Niro is on board as the infamous Alabama Governor George Wallace. Hugh Jackman has also been cast, reportedly as a sheriff. This should be interesting, to say the least.

OK Senate Votes for Exemption from Federal Hate Crime Laws

In January, Rod 2.0 reported on Steve Russell, the conservative Oklahoma Republican state senator who proposed to exempt the Sooner State from federal hate crime law provisions. Russell doesn't mind working with the federal government on hate crimes—only those related to his state's LGBT community. The Oklahoma City senator's amendment passed overwhelmingly on Wednesday, reports The Oklahoman.

Under the new provisions of Senate Bill 1965, reports that were collected during investigations of possible hate crime that did not end in a conviction would be destroyed or kept by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. Russell said the bill is meant to prevent the federal law enforcement officials from taking over a case and applying different standards when local law enforcement has already investigated a case. Only a few senators questioned Russell about the contents of his proposed amendment. The measure passed 39-6 and now heads to the House for consideration. Russell said his bill is meant to protect speech of all kinds. "We just don’t want the pendulum to swing too far the other way,” he said. "This protects people to do or say whatever they want, as long as it complies with local ordinances." Russell said hate crimes should be prosecuted by local officials and not the federal government.

MetroStar News, the Oklahoma-based LGBT newspaper, explains the practical ramifications: "This would prohibit providing as evidence to Federal authorities a bloody baseball bat or gun used in that type of crime to assist in their prosecution of that hate crime. Since crimes committed due to a victim’s sexual orientation/gender identity are not Hate Crimes under Oklahoma state law, and this restriction would make Federal prosecution of this type of crime in Oklahoma very difficult if not impossible, this would greatly impede Hate Crimes protection for the GLBT community in Oklahoma."

Adds Kathy L. Williams, president of The Equality Network: "Senator Russell's bill is truly terrifying in its implications. This legislation sends the message that violence against LGBT Oklahomans is acceptable. It also sets a chilling precedent that Oklahoma will only enforce certain federal laws and cooperate only with selected federal agencies."

Russell, who has compared homosexuality to necrophilia, is the former commander at Fort Hood.

If the Oklahoma House of Representatives were to pass the bill and the governor were to sign it, it would become state law. If that happens, qquality and civil rights groups say they will immediately challenge its constitutionality.

Iowa Legislator: Exclude Married Gays From Domestic Abuse Law

A Republican Iowa state legislator fails in his attempt to adopt an amendment to a domestic violence bill that would have defined a "spouse" as between one man and one woman.  Much of the Republican caucus went along with the clearly unconstitutional move, reports the Des Moines Register. 

Senate File 2357 brings federal laws concerning protective orders and conviction of domestic violence with relation to possession of guns into Iowa’s law. Rep. Chris Hagenow, R-Windsor Heights, offered an amendment that would define the term spouse to be a person of marriage that is valid under Iowa law that says marriage is between one man and one woman. The Iowa Supreme Court, last year, ruled the law was unconstitutional, which Rep. Rick Olson, D-Des Moines, pointed out on the House floor.

Speaker of the House Pat Murphy ruled the move "non-germane". Hagenow’s call to suspend the rules to move forward anyway failed " largely along a party vote", the Register reports.

LGBT activists at One Iowa slammed Hagenow's proposal as "shameful" and launched an email blast targeting the bigoted legislator.

WATCH: José Peralta's Campaign Commercial for New York Senate

New York Assemblyman José Peralta debuts his latest campaign commercial in the special election being held Tuesday for the Senate seat formerly held by the disgraced Hiram Monserrate. The spot opens with surveillance video of Monserrate attacking and slashing his girlfriend. Brilliant.

In related news: An editorial in The New York Times notes Monserrate's "campaign appears to be growing uglier by the day" and slams the former senator for his anti-gay rhetoric. Peralta has an excellent record on equality and voted three times to pass the marriage equality bill in the Assembly and voted three times to pass the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act. Monserrate's supporters are now gay-baiting Peralta as the "gay cabellero". Despicable.

If you can, sign up and donate today at fightbackpac.com. Via JoeMyGod, watch the video AFTER THE JUMP ...

VA Gov McDonnell Issues Useless Anti-Gay Discrimination "Directive"

Following the massive outrage and pushback over Virginia Republican Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's advice that public colleges and universities abolish policies that ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and/or gender identity, Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell issued a "directive" last night saying the Commonwealth should not discriminate based on sexual orientation.

'"Discrimination based on factors such as one's sexual orientation or parental status violates the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution. Therefore, discrimination against enumerated classes of persons set forth in the Virginia Human Rights Act or discrimination against any class of persons without a rational basis is prohibited,' McDonnell said in his first executive directive."

"As attorney general before becoming governor, McDonnell, a Republican, determined in 2006 that Democratic Gov. Timothy Kaine's executive order prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation was unconstitutional because the state Legislature had not added such a protection to state law. An executive order carries more legal weight than a directive."

The Times Dispatch: "Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, who says there's nothing in Virginia law to protect gay state workers from discrimination, is welcoming Gov. Bob McDonnell's decree against bias on the basis of sexual orientation. However, it's not clear from a written statement just issued by Cuccinelli whether he backs the governor's legal thinking in issuing a so-called executive directive protecting gay employees. "I applaud Gov. McDonnell for the tone he is setting for the commonwealth of Virginia," said Cuccinelli. "I will remain in contact with the governor and continue to work with him on issues important to Virginians. I expect Virginia's state employees to follow all state and federal anti-discrimination laws and will enforce Virginia's laws to the fullest extent."

Except for there are federal discrimination laws protecting gays and lesbians. And for the second time in one week, the Republican-controlled House of Delegates rejected legislation that would have banned job discrimination against gay state employees.

Despite the significance  of McDonnell's "directive", there is no mention of it on the governor's website. And the conservative governor's "directive" apparently contradicts an executive order he recently signed which explicitly removed protections for gay and lesbian state employees.

Rachel Maddow explains the difference between an executive "order" and a "directive". One is enforceable by law, the other is merely a suggestion. Guess which is the weaker, useless one? Watch, AFTER THE JUMP ...

Personal injury claim

No win no fee

WATCH: Cynthia Nixon Fights Back Against NY's Anti-Gay Politicians

Actress and activist Cynthia Nixon recorded a spot to support Fight Back New York, the new political action committee targeting former New York state Senator Hiram Monserrate and others who voted against marriage equality.

The "Sex and the City" actress says in part: "I am a lifelong New Yorker but I don't have the rights that most of my friends and neighbors do. I'm engaged to the woman I love, but on December 2, the New York State Senate voted against my right to marry her. Last year prior to the vote, so many of us went up to Albany to speak with our state senators about why marriage equality is so important to us and to our families. They didn't get the message. They still think that it's okay to treat me and hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers like second-class citizens. I'm not okay with that."

If you can, sign up and donate today at fightbackpac.com. Via Towleroad and JoeMyGod, watch the video AFTER THE JUMP ...

WATCH: Steph Jones' New Music Video "La La Means Love"

Singer-songwriter and modeling hotness Steph Jones—who's been getting rave reviews for his new music and  shirtless Twitter pics—premieres the new video for "La La Means Love" and it's really worth watching. It's an uptempo love song with a 1980s vibe and Steph's vocals, as always, are crisp, soulful and outstanding.

Steph Jones—who created a huge buzz with his single "Mr. Ordinary"—explains the story behind the video. "I shot 3 videos in one day,m" he tells Rod 2.0. " 'Get Me Started', 'Sunshine', and the director asked me to stand in front of the green screen for a few takes and sing ['La La Means Love']. Which took all of 30 minutes but I didn't know, my director Kamal Robinson emailed me the  video so in all honesty it was a surprise. When he asked me if I wanted it I said 'Hell yeah' "

We'll be bringing you a full interview with Steph Jones soon. In the meantime, more o\f Steph's music here and follow him on Twitter. Watch the video AFTER THE JUMP...

PHOTOS: David Agbodji for Barneys

Nigerian-French model of the moment David Agbodji takes a moment away from being the new face and nude body for Calvin Klein's stunning new S/S 2010 campaign. He's seen here in the new Barney's catalog for Elie Tahari. The image for Michael Bastian, last seen worn by basketball hotness Derrick Rose, WHEN YOU JUMP ...

Wash Post: "Legal Discrimination is Alive and Well" in Virginia

An editorial in the Washington Post slams Virginia's anti-gay Republican Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli  for demanding the Commonwealth's public colleges and universities abolish policies that ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and/or gender identity:  "Translation: Discrimination is alive, well and now encouraged in the Commonwealth of Virginia."

Mr. Cuccinelli is not the first attorney general to articulate the limits of Virginia anti-discrimination laws. His predecessors for the past 25 years have come to a similar conclusion concerning cities and counties that wished to extend protections to gay and lesbian residents. But colleges and universities traditionally have been given broad leeway to set policy. These schools have been havens for inclusive policies that often go hand-in-hand with academic freedom. It's sad and telling that as one of his earliest acts in office, the attorney general would actively reach out to enable discrimination. His opinion would, in the words of a former governor and current senator, Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), "hurt the ability of our colleges and universities to attract the very best faculty, staff and students and [would] damage the Commonwealth's reputation for academic excellence and diversity."

Mr. Cuccinelli is certainly right about one thing: The Virginia legislature has failed -- disgracefully, in our view -- to guarantee protections to gay and lesbian residents of the state. If legislators did their jobs, the attorney general's well-known views on the evils of homosexuality would become quaint artifacts instead of the arbiter of policy for what has been, until now, a first-class system of higher education.

Last night and for the second time in one week, the Republican-controlled House of Delegates, rejected legislation that would have banned job discrimination against gay state employees.

In related news: The president of The College of William & Mary says his institution will not rescind its anti-discrimination policies, reports Pam's House Blend. In a message sent to the university community, President Taylor Reveley wrote: "William & Mary neither discriminates against people nor tolerates discrimination on our campus. ... We certainly do not discriminate against people on such grounds, or tolerate discrimination against them. This is the way we live our lives together at William & Mary, because we believe this is the way we should live our lives together. This is not going to change."