*The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has asked celebrity blogger Perez Hilton to apologize for gay slurs he threw at will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas during a weekend altercation that made national headlines.
*The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has asked celebrity blogger Perez Hilton to apologize for gay slurs he threw at will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas during a weekend altercation that made national headlines.
GLAAD was responding to a video posted by Hilton, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira, in which he described his version of events after will.i.am posted a video describing their confrontations at and after the MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto.
Hilton, who is openly gay, said in his vide "I made the split-second decision -- that I was gonna say what I thought was the worst possible thing that thug [will.i.am] would ever want to hear" -- which was the gay slur 'faggot'."
Rashad Robinson, GLAAD's senior director of media programs, said: "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.”
Perez Hilton responded with a statement questioning the audacity of GLAAD, an organization he once worked for, to ask him for a apology.
Hilton told TMZ.com: "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 and intimidating you. I am just very fortunate and grateful that nothing more serious happened to me."
UPDATE ...
Since our posting of the item above, Hilton has issued another statement about the incident. In it, he doesn't come right out and apologize to GLAAD, but tones down the rhetoric and explains why he chose to use the word "faggot."
"Words can hurt. I know that very well, from both sides of the fence. The other night in Toronto, after feeling physically threatened by a verbally abusive Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas, I chose the most hurtful word I know to hurl at him. I was in an out-of-the ordinary situaton and used a word that I would not utter under normal circumstances. My intention - however misguided it may have been - was to stand up for myself and tell this belligerent man that I had enough of his badgering and was not going to continue to let him berate and intimidate me. I wanted to hurt him with the word I chose, not anyone else. Unfortunately, the one who got hurt was me and, subsequently, a lot of other people. I wish none of it had happened. I can't take it back. I did what I thought was best at the moment to stand up for myself in a non-violent yet still assertive way. Clearly, I am not homophobic. Also, I am not nor have I ever claimed to be a spokesperson for the gay community. I am just speaking for myself, a gay man.
Click HERE to read the rest of his statement.
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