June 25, 2009, New York, NY - Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton this morning wrote a blog post on PerezHilton.com where he stated that he was "sorry" and "the 'F' word will never be uttered from my lips again."
 
"It is important and appropriate that Perez Hilton apologized to the LGBT community and his audience for his use of anti-gay slurs," said Rashad Robinson, Senior Director of Media Programs at the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).
 
“GLAAD will continue our work to educate the public on the harms of anti-gay slurs that feed a climate of hatred and intolerance against the LGBT community."

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

UPDATE: Statement from GLAAD on Perez Hilton’s Use of Anti-Gay Slur

New York, NY, June 24, 2009 - Statement from GLAAD on a blog post written today by Perez Hilton regarding his use of anti-gay slurs:

"First and foremost it is important to remember that the violence committed against Perez Hilton is absolutely unacceptable and ought to be condemned in the strongest possible terms," said Rashad Robinson, Senior Director of Media Programs at GLAAD.

"Perez Hilton's acknowledgement that words can hurt is an important step in the right direction, and while his change of tone is welcome, he still seems to be justifying the use of the slurs," said Robinson. "A statement that stops short of apologizing for and disavowing the use of that slur doesn't get us where we need to be – these are vulgar anti-gay slurs that feed a climate of hatred and intolerance that continues to put our community in harm's way. When someone from our community uses a far-reaching media platform to promote these kinds of slurs, it sends a message that it's OK to use these dehumanizing words."

"This is an important moment.  Now that Perez Hilton has acknowledged that words can hurt, GLAAD calls on him to take this opportunity to reflect on his use of demeaning and defamatory language against many different communities on PerezHilton.com - not as Perez Hilton, but as Mario Lavandeira, an openly gay man who just went through a scary and traumatic experience."

Monday, June 22, 2009

Statement from GLAAD on Perez Hilton’s Use of Anti-Gay Slur
 

New York, NY, June 22, 2009 – The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) today issued the following statement in response to a video posted by celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, in which he made the following remarks about a confrontation with will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas and members of the band’s entourage.

"And that is when 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. As I was standing my ground - without being violent or physical which I would never do - I told him - and you know what? I don't need to respect you and you're a f**. You're gay and stop being such a f***ot."

"These are vulgar anti-gay slurs that feed a climate of hatred and intolerance toward our community," said Rashad Robinson, Senior Director of Media Programs at GLAAD. “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.”

Reuters is reporting that Toronto police have charged Liborio Molina, the manager of the Black Eyed Peas, with assault.

“While not all the facts in this case are known, the violence that appears to have been committed against Perez Hilton is unacceptable and ought to be condemned in the strongest possible terms,” said Robinson.