Was he a friend of Roody?
Yes. Rudi Gernreich was a cofounder with Harry Hay.
In addition to Rudy Giuliani being a member of this group:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1794584/posts?page=1#1
Rudy Giuliani also honored Rudi Gernreich in Times Square:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1798159/posts
In Times Square, NYC’s Greatest Fashion Show on Earth