Houston artwork and music pageant Day for Night has minimize ties with its founder, Omar Afra, following sexual misconduct allegations, the pageant’s collectors announced on Facebook yesterday, August 12. “We stand with all victims of abuse,” they wrote. In a Facebook post, Afra introduced that he could be stepping down from his positions each on the pageant and at Free Press Houston, the place he was the writer, however stated, “I have no choice but to fight back against allegations that are patently false.” The way forward for the pageant will not be presently clear.
According to the Houston Chronicle and CultureMap Houston, two ladies, Veronica Ramos and Phoenix Hamilton, posted allegations on Facebook that Afra sexually assaulted them. Ramos, who stated she had knowledgeable relationship with Afra as a consequence of her images work, claimed that Afra forcibly kissed and groped her at the Free Press office in October 2010, following a live performance she had photographed at Fitzgerald’s, a nightclub he owned. “I was afraid, in shock and felt unsafe in my own city and creative community,” Ramos wrote. “I gave up on my passion for photography. My career and personal life completely changed. I moved across the world to Africa to get as far away as possible.” Hamilton claimed that Afra forcibly kissed her following a dialog a few job alternative with Day for Night. She stated the incident passed off in October 2017.
Amanda Hart, a former worker of Afra’s who shared Ramos’ and Hamilton’s tales on her Facebook web page, wrote, “I have personally seen him cultivate a toxic work environment where people are manipulated, mistreated and abused emotionally. I didn’t just see how he would treat people but experienced this behavior myself.» She added, “When I found out that he had physically hurt women in our community I was sick to my stomach but not surprised. It all made so much sense. Of course this person used his power in this disgusting way because that’s who he is, always has been.”
In his Facebook publish, Afra known as the allegations a “coordinated attempt,” and stated, “It would do no justice to anyone for me to capitulate to lies and fabrications.” He added, “In the recent years I have veered away from what I knew was right and caused pain to those around me including family and friends. I am most sorry to Andrea, a woman that has stood by me for 20 years now. Because of this, I have been in therapy for over a year and have been doing some real work on myself and trying to get back on the path of focusing on the real me; a man who loves his family and wants to do right by people.”
In its three years, Day for Night featured performances from Kendrick Lamar, Björk, Solange, Aphex Twin, Thom Yorke, Nine Inch Nails, St. Vincent, and extra. The pageant additionally hosted talks from Chelsea Manning, Laurie Anderson, Pussy Riot’s Nadya Tolokonnikova, and others. Pitchfork Radio broadcast stay from Day for Night in 2017.
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