Trump Sues Univision For $500M, Mexico And Thomas Roberts Pull Out Of Pageant

For once Donald Trump has followed through with a lawsuit threat:

Donald Trump, a Republican presidential candidate, is suing Univision. The Spanish-language TV network dropped its coverage of Miss USA and Miss Universe — two beauty pageants that Trump co-owns — because of Trump's remarks about Mexican immigrants during his presidential campaign announcement on June 16. NBCUniversal also dropped the pageant programming. NPR's Andrew Limbong reports that Trump is seeking $500 million, and that in the suit, Trump claims Univision is attempting to suppress his freedom of speech. Here's an excerpt from The Trump Organization's statement: "Under the contract, Univision is required to broadcast the pageant live on television in Spanish. While Univision claims its decision came solely in response to comments by Mr. Trump during a June 16 campaign speech announcing his candidacy for President of the United States, the decision was, in reality, a politically motivated attempt to suppress Mr. Trump's freedom of speech under the First Amendment as he begins to campaign for the nation's presidency."

Mexico has pulled out of the pageant.

The Mexican media company Televisa said it will not have a representative in the next Miss Universe pageant. Trump is a partial owner of the Miss Universe Organization, which oversees both the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants. Televisa and former Miss Universe Lupita Jones help run Nuestra Belleza Mexico, a national pageant that determines the country's contestant for Miss Universe. Jones lashed out at Trump for his "racist comments." "As a Mexican I feel very offended and outraged, like everyone else - as Miss Universe I think Donald Trump is harming the organization," she wrote on Twitter.

Pageant host Thomas Roberts, who was heavily criticized for hosting the 2013 pageant when it was held in Russia, has also pulled out as has co-host Cheryl Burke. On Monday NBC announced it will not air either Miss Universe or Miss USA, which takes place in Baton Rouge on July 11th despite the lack of a broadcasting partner.

MSNBC Host Thomas Roberts Apologizes For Strange Cinco De Mayo Segment

For the last two days right wing sites have been blasting MSNBC for a brief but bizarre Cinco De Mayo segment which featured a sombrero-wearing host swigging from a Corona bottle and rattling a maraca. Today Thomas Roberts issued an apology following a blistering denouncement from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. An excerpt:

This is simply the worst example I have seen of a discriminatory stereotypical portrayal of any community by any media. The fact that this was done by a news organization is abominable. This wasn't a chance occurrence. This was a planned segment where many decision makers at MSNBC's Way Too Early program agreed on the content and execution which concluded on what was seen nationwide. It feeds to the ignorant misconceptions of a rich and proud people who unfortunately are too often portrayed as caricatures to be scoffed at. The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) denounces the actions taken by the MSNBC journalists for their capricious actions, lack of judgment, insensitivity and attack of the Mexican community. The segment clearly proves that diversity is lacking at the Way Too Early program. Too often mistakes like these are made because the people making them are not representative of the community the content portrays.

Monday's segment is in the second clip below.

Venezuela Wins Miss Universe

The Washington Blade reports:

Participants in the Miss Universe 2013 pageant that took place in Moscow on Saturday did not discuss Russia’s LGBT rights record during the broadcast of the event. Gay MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts, who co-hosted the pageant with singer Mel B, earlier on Saturday described Russia’s law banning gay propaganda to minors as a “discriminatory” statute that “condones the closet” during an interview with fellow MSNBC anchor Alex Witt from the Russian capital with Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo. Roberts further criticized the Kremlin’s LGBT rights record during an interview with Agence France-Presse after he and his husband, Patrick Abner, arrived in Moscow.

HomoQuotable - Thomas Roberts

"It’s been an incredible experience so far. I certainly don’t want to be a commercial for Russia… [but] I haven’t run into any discrimination so far since I’ve been here. Just by showing up, just by being visible, just by the sheer presence of my husband being there with me, and just the interest that this might generate in what my personal back story is, I think that just sends a strong message that you can have a highly successful professional career and a successful personal life and they can be integrated. The LGBT community has the right to be outraged. But it’s not the time to shy away, it’s the time to show up. And it’s the time to make sure that you show up and that you’re visible, and that you’re respected, on an equal footing. There have been great people who have come out in support of this and they get what I mean by this role being too visible to pass up for an LGBT person, because [Miss Universe] is seen in over 190 countries by a billion people. It’s not about the money." - MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts, speaking from Russia this morning. (Tipped by JMG reader Brooks)

HomoQuotable - Thomas Roberts

"I consulted with the [Human Rights Campaign] and with GLAAD. I wanted to find out their take on what they thought about this decision by me. They are two organizations that I have done a great deal of work with and that have not only had my personal support but professional support. So a lot of counsel, a lot of advice, went into this. Certainly great LGBT activists, who are mentors of mine — I reached out to them as well. So, I am a little dismayed at some of the reaction that people have had, that have wanted to try to attack my personal and professional belief for what I'm standing up for, but I respect their right to do that. But I wish they would have a little more faith in me." - MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts, speaking to the Advocate about the reaction to the news that he will host Miss Universe in Moscow.

Read the full interview.

Trump To Roberts: Russia's Laws Are Bad, But I'm Still Against Your Marriage

HomoQuotable - Thomas Roberts

"Courage is contagious. I have felt that way since coming out publicly in 2006. I’ve never regretted it. This November, I will co-host Miss Universe in Moscow partly because it is a huge, visible opportunity for LGBT people. Everywhere. [snip] So people may wonder: 'Thomas, how can you accept this assignment? Shouldn’t you boycott Russia?' I am not going to boycott. Boycotting and vilifying from the outside is too easy. Rather, I choose to offer my support of the LGBT community in Russia by going to Moscow and hosting this event as a journalist, an anchor and a man who happens to be gay.

 "Let people see I am no different than anyone else. All kids—Russian, American or otherwise—need hope. I am a happy, healthy, gainfully employed, educated and married man. And yes, I am gay. These new Russian laws won’t stop Russians from being born LGBT and growing up to identify as such. Russia’s treatment of its LGBT citizens is unacceptable, unrealistic and only promotes homophobia and intolerance for a community that does and will continue to exist. [snip] We do them no favors by turning away now. We must be visible, we must show up, and, as Harvey Milk said, we must 'give them hope.' I go to prove there’s hope." - News anchor Thomas Roberts, writing for MSNBC.

RELATED: In August, Bravo host Andy Cohen announced that he would not be returning to host Miss Universe, saying that he "didn't feel right as a gay man stepping foot into Russia."

Reince Preibus To Thomas Roberts: Maybe You Should Apply For A Job With Obama

Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus sparred with MSNBC host Thomas Roberts today and Roberts didn't not back down. Talking Points Memo recaps:

"Why do we need to attach the solutions or changes that go along with the law that has been vetted by the Supreme Court, by a mandate by the people reelecting the president and both houses of Congress," Roberts asked. "Why should that be attached to to shutting down the government and as the president is saying basically writing a ransom note and asking for some type of goody bag in response for Congress doing its job to govern?" "Those are some pretty good talking points," the RNC chair shot back. "Let me just rewind." "They're not talking points," Roberts interjected, referring to a speech Obama gave in Maryland moments before the exchange. "That's directly from what the president just gave us." "I think you should apply for a job in the Obama administration," Priebus said later, after several minutes of sparring with the MSNBC host.

Watch the clip and enjoy.

At Last Night's GLAAD Event

Google has either done away with embeddable Picasa slideshows or hidden the function well enough that I can no longer find it, so click over here for tons of photos of the bold face (mostly) gay-gay-gay names that crowded the red carpet at last night's GLAAD event in Manhattan. Within you'll find Orange Is The New Black cast member Laverne Cox, MSNBC host Thomas Roberts and his husband, a very slim Perez Hilton, 2012 GOP presidential candidate Fred Karger, Carson Kressley,  nightlife queen Susanne Bartsch and gym mogul hubby David Barton, rapper Big Dipper, rapper Cazwell, Broadway hottie Nick Adams, Carmen Carrrera, model Isis King, Christian Siriano, and Mary Lambert, who performed her new hit, She Keeps Me Warm, to huge applause. Plus you find more and better photos of those West Point cadets. [Photo credits: Dr. Jeff Smith]

HomoQuotable - Thomas Roberts

"Reince Priebus, when I got engaged, congratulated me at the White House Correspondents' weekend. Last year, Sean Spicer congratulated me on getting married to my husband. Yet they incorporate into the platform of the RNC their stance against marriage equality. It's odd, because why congratulate me? I didn't bring it up, I didn't say give me a congratulations, but they offered it. So it's odd, because then they'll go out and drumbeat that they're against marriage equality. It's weird." - MSNBC host Thomas Roberts, speaking today on Morning Joe. Spicer, who is the RNC's communications director, emailed Politico to respond: "Believing marriage is between one man and one woman and being polite, courteous and respectful are not mutually exclusive."

MSNBC Host Thomas Roberts On Weiner's Accuser: This Chick Is So Batshit

MSNBC host Thomas Roberts got a little potty-mouthed this afternoon, drawing snickers across the Twitterverse. Roberts later apologized on-air for his language.

MSNBC's Thomas Roberts On His Marriage