GLADD SLAMS GAY BLOGGER PEREZ HILTON

Perez Hilton


Gay rights advocates are slamming celebrity blogger Perez Hilton for using an anti-gay slur during his confrontation with Black Eyes Peas star will.i.am over the weekend. The couple clashed at an party following the MuchMusic Video Awards in Canada on Sunday night over comments that Hilton posted about band mate Fergie on his Gossip Web site. Hilton has alleged he was left bleeding and in shock when the hip-hop star attacked him. will.i.am is insisting there was no violence and is accusing Hilton of using the slur as they argued outside a nightclub in Toronto, which Hilton later admitted on his blog.The Black Eyed Peas' manager Polo Molina later turned himself into Toronto authorities and was charged with assault. But despite Hilton claiming he was the victim of an unprovoked attack, The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation are hitting out at his use of the word and have demanded an apology. In a statement, GLAAD spokesperson Rashad Robinson says, "These are vulgar anti-gay slurs that feed a climate of hatred and intolerance toward our community. "For someone in our own community to use it to attack another person by saying that it is, quote, 'The worst possible thing that thug would ever want to hear,' is incredibly dangerous. It legitimizes use of a slur that is often linked to violence against our community. And it sends a message that it is OK to attempt to dehumanize people by exploiting anti-gay attitudes. "We have reached out to Hilton and asked him to apologize for promoting this anti-gay slur, and we would ask media outlets to avoid repetition of the slur in their coverage of this story." In a statement released on Tuesday, Hilton, real name Mario Lavandeira, writes, "I am saddened GLAAD chose to victimize me further by criticizing me for how I non-violently dealt with a very scary situation that, unfortunately, turned violent. "While I doubt I will get an apology from GLAAD, nor do I expect one, I would just hope people know how difficult it is to intellectualize a situation and think rationally when a thug disguised as a musician is screaming at your face (sic) and intimidating you. I am just very fortunate and grateful that nothing more serious happened to me."
Photos By: Sara De Boer/Retna

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