Wale Opted Out of DC Gay Pride Concert, Report Says

According to various reports, rapper Wale has canceled his performance as a headliner at DC Black Pride main event, which is set for Sunday May 30th.

DC Black Pride Organizers told the Metro Weekly the DC rapper abruptly pulled out.

Earl Fowlkes, the DC Black Pride board member acting as spokesperson for the nonprofit organization, said the rapper’s decision to cancel was due to homophobia.

”Basically we had an agreement, and we were very clear to the different parties and agents involved that this was an LGBT event,” Fowlkes says.

”What happened is that when the first blast went out that Wale was going to be at Black Pride he got cold feet, and his agent first said Wale wasn’t available because he had to do family stuff. Then we got another e-mail saying he didn’t know what kind of event this was when he agreed to it.”

According to an e-mail from Jesse Kirshbaum, a talent agent representing Wale… his client took the [gig] because it was a local Washington event, but that he was ”mislead.”

”All of the facts of the event were not disclosed with the offer and therefore, he feels mislead and regretfully declines.”

Fowlkes says that is not true. ”We said, ‘We told you up front, how could we hide that DC Black Pride is LGBT?”’ Fowlkes says. ”They just said he couldn’t do it. So it basically is homophobia rearing its ugly head once again, and on our 20th anniversary, it’s really sad.”

Update 05/28/2010: Wale ended up performing at the event.

Wale has tweeted to announce that he will perform after all: “I’m cancelling what I was supposed to be doin..to go …yeah ILL BE THERE!! I’m not scared nor do I have any hatred for ANYBODY.”