Does Perez Hilton Represent You?

In recent months, Perez Hilton has gone from gossip to gay rights crusader, and not everyone in the LGBT community wants him fighting for our rights.

I, for one, feel like he does us more harm than good. Case in point: After Miss California Carrie Prejean told him that marriage should be between a man and a woman, he went on the attack, expressing himself in less than eloquent fashion when he labeled her a "dumb bitch."

While I can understand his temptation to lash out at the beauty queen, Perez, as the self-proclaimed Queen of All Media, is in a powerful position in that he has the media spotlight shining right on him, and he would have better served the cause by explaining why Miss California's stance on gay marriage is wrong.

I'm not saying Perez had to morph into a boring political wonk to make his point. He is an entertainer, after all. But he could have presented a real argument against the thinking behind Miss California's response, using wit and even humor. There's nothing wrong with being clever.

But who is going to take the guy seriously after he attacks his philosophical foe by calling her a nasty name? It was a classless move, and it was, well, dumb. If anything, I thought that Miss California came out of this situation looking like the winner despite the fact that I disagree with her opposition to gay marriage.

In turn, Perez came out of this situation looking like all he really wanted to do was draw attention to himself. Does anyone really believe that he genuinely wants to make the world a better place for all of gaykind?

I may be naïve, and I know that people are going to lash out at me for this, but I do believe that deep down inside Perez, as a gay man, does care about gay rights.

But his quest for celebrity is getting in the way of him being an effective lobbyist, and his tactics (I knew he would inevitably deface Miss California's photo with one of his penis scribbles) are turning off the very people we are trying to win over. I worry that he might even cause a backlash when it comes to issues like gay marriage.

Surely, you have something to say on the topic. Do you think Perez is hurting the gay community in our fight for gay marriage and other rights with his rude and crude approach?

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(Image courtesy of Getty)

Comments

[scott]

Well said....Perez has done caused harm to all Gay men across the country. "attacking his philosophical foe by calling her a nasty name?" this is not how to push the needs of our community...it sets it back

I just wish he would go away...he doesn't speak for me or my friends

[jake]

i think sometimes you need to be nasty, i am tied of people saying, ooo i dont agree with you, but i respect your opinion. hell no i don't respect your opinion your opinion is wrong, yes an opinion can be wrong.
would we be saying the same thing if they attacked any other group. hell no.
even the gay community is getting used to being attacked so much that even we have this opinion.
IF we ever want equality, we can't be saying , I respect your opinion.

[Allan]

There is plenty of room for the Perez Hilton treatment for bigots. After all, who would prudish gays have to point fingers at for being so crazy and radical, if not for people like the entertainer Perez, who called a radish a radish and dared to say the radish sucks, and not in a good way? Get some 'nads, people, and start striking back. He gave her several good verbal slaps in the face. Wonderful. She deserved it, and she's not done yet so she deserves more of it.

[Ares]

Perez has no credibilty to be calling anybody out, just read his site. He's a flaming loudmouth who only wants to benefit himself, NOT the gay community.

[Rick]

Perez needs to keep his big mouth shut. Not only is he bringing the wrong attention to the gay movement but he is calling the far-right to arms with his caustic remarks. Had it not been for Perez, Prejean would dissolve into the background where she belongs. As it is now, she has become a symbol for the conservative movement. Go away, Perez - we don't want your "help".

[Jack]

I have little regard for Perez Hilton, but after reading this AP news story this morning, I have to wonder if maybe Hilton knew something about Miss Prejean that had not come to light previously. Perhaps his question was not so pulled-out-of-thin-air after all? Prejean has also been making the rounds of all the "churches" that actively pushed Prop 8.

"NEW YORK (AP) -- Carrie Prejean told NBC's "Today" show Thursday that she'll be working with the National Organization for Marriage to "protect traditional marriages."
The 21-year-old says that marriage is "something that is very dear to my heart" and she's in Washington to help save it."

[Lee Rowan]

Perez Hilton represents Perez Hilton, and he's got the right to be as offensive as that Foxx creature who's been trashing Matthew Shepard's memory.

She's not representative of all little old white ladies (I'd love to see Ellen DeGeneris' Mom give her a piece of her mind) any more than Perez H is representative of all gays.

Variety is good. Every group has its calm, level-headed, rational folks (though the religious far-right seems awfully short of them) and every group has its noisy name-callers. Do we really want to be homo-genous?

[BILL]

THIS IS AMERICA. WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO GIVE OUR HONEST OPINION WHEN ASKED TO DO SO. WE DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO CURSE AND HUMILIATE SOMEONE FOR GIVING THAT HONEST OPINION.
WE, AS GAYS, CLAIM TO BE LIBERAL AND TO HAVE OUR RIGHTS TO DO AS WE PLEASE, BUT HILTON DOES NOT WANT TO GIVE THAT RIGHT TO OTHERS. HE IS A DISGRACE TO ALL HUMAN BEINGS.

[Robert D. Meek.Jr]

Here's a shock: I "follow" Perez Hilton SO little that I JUST learned he's a GAY MAN today, and I am 51! And yes, I am gay. He's just not part of MY world, that's all.

I glanced his web site, and I cannot see how one can say he's hurting us.

Nor does he particularly represent us.

He represents...HIMSELF.

[D Danforth]

In the world I live in, I don't breathlessly live to know which celebrity is cheating/ overeating/ mean/ pregnant/ substance troubled in the public eye. Our enormous (and erroneously self-appointed rightful) 'need to know' of those things which we would consider private in our own (dull) lives is a pretty sad social statement in itself. Gossip mongers like Hilton would have no 'celebrity' at all if we didn't crown them with that elevated status through our longing to make everyone else's private lives our business. He is only fulfilling a position we've made for him, and altho his displayed classiness or lack of it is indeed pathetic, he is living up (or down) to what is expected of him by the clammoring mob of busybodies. What he said and did saddens me, for there are those un-enlightened out there who think he is a model of my lifestyle; but we have to remember, he is there because he was asked to be. You figure it out.

[Jon Markle]

Who the hell is "Perez Hilton" anyway? Sounds like a flaming queen. How many more self-aggrandizing self-crowned royal prigs do I need "representing" me to the world?

[David Nieves]

Perez Hilton has done more to hurt the LGBT community and their pursuit of equal rights, than the W.H.O. for the pork industry. This is America and everyone is entitled to their own opinion and we must stand up for everyone's right to say what they feel even if we disagree with it. I mean lets not be naive here. What exactly did you think that a woman attending a christian college of her own free will was going to say? Also, who would pick Perez Hilton to judge a beauty contest to begin it?!?! I personally don't agree with Ms. California's opinion, but I also don't believe brutalizing her for it was going to make things better. Oh and then leaking out that she had her breast augmented was priceless. Talk about a petty and pitiful attempt to get even with someone that was asked HER OPINION. All that happened was that now more people have more reason to vote against the LGBT community because it was proved that they are no better than the spiteful, hateful, non-tolerant people who vote against anti-discrimination and equal rights legislation.

Good job, Mr Hilton! Nice going!

[David Nieves]

Perez Hilton has done more to hurt the LGBT community and their pursuit of equal rights, than the W.H.O. for the pork industry. This is America and everyone is entitled to their own opinion and we must stand up for everyone's right to say what they feel even if we disagree with it. I mean lets not be naive here. What exactly did you think that a woman attending a christian college of her own free will was going to say? Also, who would pick Perez Hilton to judge a beauty contest to begin it?!?! I personally don't agree with Ms. California's opinion, but I also don't believe brutalizing her for it was going to make things better. Oh and then leaking out that she had her breast augmented was priceless. Talk about a petty and pitiful attempt to get even with someone that was asked HER OPINION. All that happened was that now more people have more reason to vote against the LGBT community because it was proved that they are no better than the spiteful, hateful, non-tolerant people who vote against anti-discrimination and equal rights legislation.

Good job, Mr Hilton! Nice going!

[Shawpiro]

If we wont stand up for the right of someone to have their own opinion then who will stand up for you to have the right to your own opinion. I am a gay man of 53 and the way the gay community has handled the gay marriage issue should be an embarrassment to all of us.

[Jamie]

In no way does Perez Hilton represent me. With his diatribe, the "Queen of All Media" has provided a perfect, stereotypical example of the flamboyancy and vulgarity many people associate with gay men. As a gossip blogger, Perez Hilton is fine, and often very entertaining. As a commentator on a hotbed political and social issue, he further polarizes the two sides rather than bringing them together. He should keep his mouth shut until he discovers how to better serve the gay community. While I disagree with her position on same-sex marriage, Miss California has a right to her viewpoint as much as Hilton. To attack her simply because she doesn't share his views is no different than the vitriolic trash spewed by the likes of Rush Limbaugh.

[Jim]

While I am not a gay person, I support LGBTs and their right to be married and be happy.
However, this Perez Hilton has done alot of dammage to the LGBT community.
Let's be honest folks, a large cross section of this nation doesn't believe in Gay marriage. There are certain people who will probably never change their mind, as much as this is unfair to the LGBT movement and all those who support it. The message that we should be sending out there is not "agree with us, or else", rather "you have no reason to fear us, we just want to live in peace". Believe me, trying to fight hatred with more hatred is gonna make things alot worse and will only serve to fuel more venom and bigotry.

[Todd]

Apparently the reason the Donald decided not to dethrone Miss California over the semi-nude photos was because the breasts she exposed in those photos were not the same breasts as those she had when she entered the pageant:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1752346/prejean_and_hilton_kiss_and_make_up.html?cat=60

[Heather]

The only reason we know who this man at all is because he has a big mouth, can type, talks trash,is bitchy and thinks he knows everything. WTF?!?! He is by far one of the worst yet most identifiable representatives of our community whether we like it or not to date. WE accept his stupid comments like "dumb bitch" and "faggot" as acceptable while we watch him hurt our already tenuous image to the rest of the world and country. WE have made him famous, WE have given his behavior and attitude credence. WE have let him become of stereotype of what we are like as gay Americans. If as a community we really wanted to be proactive and change this (and we really could do this) would be to shut him down. No more invites to ANYTHING, stop reading his blogs o' bitchiness, just ignore him! Which as we all know for an attention seeking dilettante like himself would be worse than death - it would be social (and economic) death. He IS NOT and DOES NOT speak for all of us. Isn't his 15 minuted up yet?