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Rod 2.0 Exclusive: Dismissal, Lawsuit and Investigations Prompt Cancellation of NYC Black Pride

Only one day before it was scheduled to begin, New York City's popular black gay pride function, Pride in the City, has canceled events amidst a dramatic upheaval at its sponsoring agency, the Brooklyn-based& ; HIV/AIDS group People of Color in Crisis (POCC). Rod 2.0 has exclusive details on the last-minute event cancellation and firing of former executive director Michael Roberson—including a lawsuit just filed against POCC, alleged financial improprieties, state and federal investigations, and, a possible possible criminal investigation.

Pride in the City (PITC) parties and official events were supposed to kick off tonight. As recently as Tuesday, vendors sent emails promoting official events, such as Friday's much-anticipated Blackout Arts Festival which was scheduled to host the New York City premiere of Derrick Briggs' new film Finding Me, and, a round table discussion featuring writer/blogger Clay Cane and Terrance Dean, author of Hiding in Hip Hop. However, yesterday afternoon an unexpected email blast from POCC said, "Due to events beyond the control of the events organizers, the Blackout Arts Festival of Pride in the City has been cancelled." The email also cryptically reported "Michael Roberson is no longer Executive Director of People of Color in Crisis." The parties scheduled over the weekend will continue, but, most all of the POCC-sponsored events, such as the BlacKout Arts Festival, will not occur.

"I was shocked," Terrance Dean tells Rod 2.0. The former MTV executive is the author of the hot, new behind the scenes tell-all Hiding in Hip Hop, which blows the lid off of the down-low and the entertainment industry. Dean was scheduled to sit on a panel on Friday and says organizers re-assured him the event would proceed as planned and only learned of the upheaval last night. "I heard about the recent cancellation of black pride in Los Angeles," he tells Rod 2.0, and "never thought it could happen" in the nation's largest city. "This is one reason why we are looking for leadership in the black gay community."

This has been a disappointing season for black gay prides. In July, the official At the Beach Los Angeles Black Pride was canceled amidst allegations of financial mismanagement. Organizers in Seattle recently canceled their black gay pride function. Chicago has two competing "official" black gay pride sponsors, and, one of the officers of In the Life Atlanta was recently accused of embezzlement.

Roberson is seen at left with Gary English, the former longtime POCC executive director. (Photo via Can We Be Frank) Although the official POCC communique says Roberson resigned, sources tell Rod 2.0 Roberson was fired earlier this week amidst escalating legal and financial problems. One source close to PITC tells Rod 2.0 their associates were "warned" weeks ago "not to participate" by sources in POCC.

Roberson's dismissal comes after a mass resignation of four members from the Brooklyn-based POCC's board of directors who protested the boards refusal to fire Roberson. The organization is reportedly being investigated by state, federal and local authorities—including the Centers for Disease Control and state health department for allegedly not providing HIV/AIDS prevention, as well as the state attorney general for possible tax violations. (For a detailed discussion of the allegations, listen to the July 1 edition of Serve the Kids Radio here. ) However, an email obtained by Rod 2.0 written by Frank Leon Roberts, the young New York City-based black gay activist, critic and a recent POCC hire of Roberson's, makes no mention of the agency's mounting legal problems. Roberts' email slams the POCC board of directors and calls their action "a truly unscrupulous, selfish, and tasteless move." Roberts is a doctoral candidate at New York University; the email was sent from his NYU email address, not from an official POCC server.

Ironically, Roberson is quoted in the latest edition of Gay City News discussing the "fiscal strain" caused by recession and budget cuts on service agencies and POCC's scaled down plans for black pride. GCN went to publication before Roberson's dismissal.

Roberson's firing and the PITC cancellation were reportedly anticipated by veteran black gay pride organizers, and, according to one source close to PITC, Earl Fowlkes, the International Federation of Black Prides president, was "concerned" about Roberson's lack of executive experience and historic involvement in the ballroom community. Roberson is the co-founder of the House of Manolo-Blahnik and the "father" of the New York City chapter of the House of Miyake-Mugler.

After the jump, exclusive details behind a new lawsuit filed against POCC that alleges Roberson reneged on this weekend's Greatest Ball on Earth and maxed out organization credit cards to "bail personal friends out of jail."

Iran's Amadenijad Blames US and the West for AIDS

Always good for a soundbite, controversial Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadenijad kicks off the opening meeting of the Nonaligned Movement in Tehran by blaming the United States and other "big powers" for the HIV/AIDS pandemic and other global ills.

But, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said, time was on the side of the poor countries.

"The big powers are going down," he said at a meeting of foreign ministers of the Nonaligned Movement in Tehran. "They have come to the end of their power, and the world is on the verge of entering a new, promising era." ...

He accused the great powers of "fomenting discord" so they can feed their arms industries. AIDS, he said, was also the result of world conditions “imposed by big powers."

Ahmadenijad is no stranger to blaming pretending the United States exports moral and social "decadence" to the developing world. Speaking at New York City's Columbia University in September 2007, the flamboyant Iranian president responded to a question about gays in the Islamic Republic by saying, "In Iran, we don’t have homosexuals like in your country. ... In Iran, we do not have this phenomenon."

On the other hand, here at home, quite a few black entertainers, intellectuals and politicians have accused the United States government of complicity in the rapid and pervasive spread of HIV throughout the black community.

Iran’s Leader Blames U.S., Allies for Global Ills [NYT]

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House Judiciary Committee Votes to Hold Karl Rove in Contempt

Excelent news. Two months after serving Karl Rove with a subpoena, the House Judiciary Committee votes 20-to-14 to hold the former White House political strategist in "contempt of Congress for ignoring the subpoena requesting his testimony."

The vote went down on party lines. Rove's testimony is sought in the investigation into the Justice Department's much-criticized prosecution of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman.

It's unclear if the contempt charge will be brought to the full House, but, apparently Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants to finally do her job. Think Progress reports, "When asked at the Netroots Nation convention if Rove would be put 'in that little jail cell that’s in the basement of the House,' Pelosi replied that Judiciary Chairman Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) 'had told her, ‘Leave it up to me.' "

Leading yesterday's crime blotter for the "law and order" "family values" Republican Party: Ted Stevens, Alaska's octogenarian homophobic senator, was indicted for seven felony counts of corruption ...

Alaska's Homophobic, GOP Sen. Stevens Indicted For Corruption

The hits keep coming on the crime blotter of the "family values" Republican Party. Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, the longest-serving Republican in the Senate, is indicted and faces seven felony counts of corruption. Read it and weep.

Mr. Stevens, 84, was indicted on seven counts of falsely reporting income. The charges are related to renovations on his home and to gifts he has received. They arise from an investigation that has been under way for more than a year, in connection with the senator’s relationship with a businessman who oversaw the home-remodeling project.

The indictment will surely reverberate through the November elections. Mr. Stevens, who has been in the Senate for 40 years, is up for re-election this year. Mark Begich, a popular Democratic mayor of Anchorage, hopes to supplant him. ...

Republicans on Capitol Hill were already jittery over a lobbying and influence-peddling scandal related to the lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who is now in prison. Mr. Stevens’s troubles are not linked to that affair. Instead, they stem from his ties to an oil executive whose company won millions of dollars in federal contracts with the help of Mr. Stevens, whose home in Alaska was almost doubled in size in the renovation project.

Stevens has been the target of a year-long federal ethics investigation and his homes were raided by FBI and IRS agents. Although the octogenarian senator has become infamous for steering pork barrel and government contracts to his state—such as the costly "Bridge to Nowhere"—the ethically-challenged Alaska Republican has shown no such love for the gay community and has consistently used his position to fight against basic rights for LGBT citizens. Stevens has a 0% rating from the Human Rights Campaign on HRC’s Congressional Scorecard in the last Congress, opposing ENDA and "voted for the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2004 and 2006 and even opposed the Matthew Shepard Act in 2007."

By all means, Stevens should continue his re-election bid. The senator's indictment is a gift to progressives, gays and the Democratic Party.

Alaska Senator Is Indicted on Corruption Charges [NYT]

Anti-Gay Kaine Reportedly "Very, Very High" on Obama's VP List

Amplifying predictions we made earlier in the season, the front page of The Washington Post reports the gay-baiting and anti-gay Virginia Gov. Timothy Kaine reportedly has had "serious conversations" with the Barack Obama campaign for the vice-presidential slot: The governor "has provided documents to the campaign as it combs through his background, according to several sources close to Kaine. Sens. Evan Bayh (Ind.) and Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Del.) are also being seriously vetted by the campaign staff, according to sources with knowledge of the process."

The Politico also quotes campaign sources who say Kaine is "very, very high on the short list."

Choosing the first term Virginia governor for the number two slot appears to be the conventional wisdom, albeit a bland and uninspiring choice. The Dixiecrat endorsed Obama early in the primary and is anti-choice, pro-death penalty and supported the Iraq War—the perfect resume for the "post-partisan" Republican lite politics of the new "Democratic" Party.The icing on the cake is Kaine's woeful record on gay rights—against gay adoption, partner benefits, discrimination legislation, and ,of course, against same-sex marriage and supported the amendment that now bans gay marriage in the Commonwealth. The Virginia governor also has the distinction of running one of the more creative gay-baiting campaigns in recent history, branding his anti-gay Republican opponent "having a gay sounding voice." Kaine is hardly presidential timber—more like pressed plywood.

Why is Kaine even necessary? His record as governor is mixed, and, to be quite honest, Obama was supposed to be able to win Virginia on his own. Big Tent Democrat at Talk Left is similarly unimpressed with Kaine's resume and slaps down Kos' gushing of Kaine as Obam's "Al Gore." "To recap, Kaine was a City Councilman in Richmond for 4 terms, a two term Mayor of Richmond, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia for 4 years and Governor of Virginia for 3 years. No Al Gore there."

Oh, and I'm eagerly awaiting for any of the "progressive" or gay e-telligentsia to say Kaine will be a "bold" choice as veep or the vice presidential candidate "doesn't have to be pro-choice or pro-gay rights" Please send the links, I will laugh and rip them a new one.

Kaine in 'Serious' Talks With Obama [WaPo]
Kaine 'Very, Very High' on VP Shortlist [Politico]
The Veep Pick: Gore In 92 [Talk Left]

Nelly to Strip Down More Often and Model Sean John Underwear

Nelly is known for often going shirtless and will be losing his pants as he becomes the first spokesman for Sean "Diddy" Combs' Sean John underwear line.

The underwear campaign is lensed by fashion and celebrity photographer Randee St. Nicholas. The imagery is consistent with the Sean John brand—Nelly roaming around a fabulous home in the Hollywood Hills, looking bored and fashionable. "Nelly is the quintessential definition of the Sean John man," Combs says via press release. "He has the attitude, the swagger and most of all, the physique that our customers can both aspire and relate to. And let's be honest, all of the ladies out there are going to be thanking us for this campaign."

More than "the ladies" are looking forward to seeing Nelly strip down to his skivvies—and Diddy knows this very, very well—but we're taking issue with the styling and the art direction in this image. Nelly is already doing a fab job stripping down and modeling his Sean John undies, but, if Diddy wants to build a brand around the rapper, he's going to have to move beyond the bland music video look and do something different. Definitely show more skin. Not sure are these supposed to be boxers or boxer briefs but we're going to have to see the full package before making a purchase. An informed consumer is the best consumer.

And while we're talking about sexy men in tight-fitting underwear ...

Nelly Models Diddy’s Undies [Celebrity Cafe]

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Saro Harvey Leads Panel on Black Families and Gay Children

Photos by Bill DelGrosso

Ironically, on the same evening that CNN broadcasts its much-heralded Black in America series that totally ignores black gays and lesbians and "the black family", there was an excellent discussion on& ; the subject at the campus of the University of Washington DC.& ; On Thursday evening, Saro Harvey, the openly gay, 15-year-old black teen recently profiled by the Washington Post, and mother Emily Zientara-Harvey spoke at a panel discussion on LGBT issues in the black community. The panel was presented by the Metro DC PFLAG and UDC's LGBT Student Union.

Bill DelGrosso, a Washington-area Rod 2.0 reader who is active in PFLAG DC, captured these images and took some notes. "The discussion ranged in topics from GLBT housing, the disconnect between GLBT people of color and their church, black prides being more about the party and less family oriented, to HIV/AIDS awareness and parents' relationships with their gay black children," Bill tells Rod 2.0. "Saro said, 'I'm just very lucky to have my family love me.' Saro's mother, Emily Zientara-Harvey, was also very emphatic about how glad she was that her son came out. 'I always knew or suspected to the point where I wanted so badly to ask. I just was so relieved when he finally told me. I did a little dance after that.' "

Another panelist, Jacqueline Davison, seen above sitting next to Mrs, Harvey, puts the Harveys relationship in context. Bill Delgrosso tells Rod 2.0 Mrs. Davison has three children, two of which came out to her in the 1970s "When you couldn't even use the word lesbian.," she says. "It was a different time, but I was so glad they did it. I love all my children, my straight daughter feels like the odd one out... I see her marriage and that of my lesbian daughter as the same."

As you can see from the pictures, the event was well-attended, mixed in age and race, and, according to our reporter, "included one woman in her mid forties that said she has never been a able to talk to any of her family about her sexuality or her personal life. Ever."& ; Hopefully that will change at some point and she will be able to have an honest conversation with her family.

Thanks BILL

Some Background ...
WaPo Profiles 15-Year-Old Openly Gay Teen [R20]
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Helping family move, so, light posting Monday and Tuesday.

Nike to Drop New Advertising Campaign Seen As Homohobic

Nike changes its mind and will pull a controversial outdoor advertising campaign for its new Hyperdunk basketball shoes after complaints the ads were homophobic.

Nike previously defended the ads, but said it would withdraw them as quickly as possible "to underline our ongoing commitment to supporting diversity in sport and the workplace," The Oregonian reported. ...

Earlier, Nike had said the ads were "based purely upon a common insight from within the game of basketball — the athletic feat of dunking on the opposition, and is not intended to be offensive."

The Hyperdunk series of gym shoes retails for as much as $3,000.& ; The ads, reported on Rod 2.0 last week, were created by Portland's Wieden+Kennedy agency and titled "That Ain't Right," "Isn't That Cute," "Say Hello" and "Punks Jump Up." The campaign features a series of basketball players being dunked in what are supposed to be embarrassing and humiliating positions, mostly with one player's face buried in his opponent's crotch, and slogans such as "That Ain't Right", "Say Hello,& ; "Isn't That Cute", "Now You Know", and "Punks Jump Up."

The ads were not particularly offensive but could have interpreted as such. The imagery and messaging was more trash talking and sophomoric than homophobic. However, in the light of the recent outcry over the Snickers and Mr. T& ; nonsense and the Olympics on the horizon, Nike probably does not want to take any chances.

Nike has some bona fides working with gays and has been "praised by gay-rights advocates for supporting a 2007 Oregon law banning discrimination against gays in work, housing and public places."

Nike to Drop Ads Some See as Homophobic [AP]

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Nike's New Ads: Homophobic or Trash Talking? [R20]

Post Quotes "Handwriting Experts" to "Analyze" Obama's Prayer Note

Is nothing sacred? The Murdoch-owned New York Post stoop to new lows of journalism and publishes the alleged note written and slipped into the cracks of the Western Wall in Jerusalem by Democratic presidential challenger Barack Obama.& ; The tabloid published the note after it "was stolen from the wall—reportedly by a Jewish seminary student—and then published in the Israeli daily paper Maariv."

The historic site is the holiest in Judaism and it would be an understatement to call the theft of any note left there a sacrilege. The rabbi in charge of the wall, Shmuel Rabinovitz, slammed Maariv for publishing the text, telling Israeli Army Radio, "The notes placed between the stones of the Western Wall are between a person and his maker. It is forbidden to read them or make any use of them . . . [this] damages the Western Wall and damages the personal, deep part of every one of us that we keep to ourselves."

To add more heaps of BS to the pile, the newspaper quotes several "handwriting experts" to "analyze" Obama's prayer request. One quoted "expert", arlene Leachman said "that when he wrote 'forgive me,' there was "too much space between forgive and me, so he probably doesn't feel he needs to be forgiven."

Outrageous. It is the New York Post that feels it doesn't need to be forgiven. And how about that seminary student? Would you want to share a confession or your troubles with him?

Dear God [NYP]

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