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Perez Hilton vows to change his ways: “I’m not forcing anyone to come out. I’m not outing anyone.”

Four years ago, blogger Perez Hilton went after Lance Bass and Neil Patrick Harris who ended up publicly acknowledging that they are gay.

He has done other controversial things on his wildly popular website including posting photos last year of Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black having sex with his then-boyfriend.

Many gay people have found it unfathomable that a gay person such as Perez could so such mean-spirited things and his defense has always been that he treats gays celebs just as he does straight celebs.

On today’s The Ellen DeGeneres Show, we will see a more compassionate Perez who says he’s through with all of the negativity and here’s why:

“Over the last two weeks, I have been doing everything I can to bring awareness to the issue of teen suicides and gay bullying,” he told Ellen. “In doing so, a lot of people have called me a hypocrite and a bully myself and a big one. That’s not how I want to be perceived and that’s not what I want to put out there into the world. It was a big wake-up call that so many people saw me that way, so from now on I really want to be part of the solution and not part of the problem.”

http://www.bittenandbound.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/full_perez_hilton_birthday_58_wenn2349772.jpgHis site is known for the unkind name-calling and inappropriate drawings on pictures of celebrities. He says no more of that: “I want to be the change that I want to see in others. I’m going to do things differently on my website than I have in the past. I’m not going to call people nasty nicknames. I’m not going to go the mean route. I’m going to force myself to try and be funnier or smarter or just do things different, not doodle inappropriate things, not out people, which I have done all of those things in the past.”

“I want to be able continue to speak out on the gay bullying and teen suicides and I want to be able to go to the gay rallies and the marches, like I have in the past, and not have people in my own community feel ashamed about me or embarrassed. I have started and I’ve already started to do things differently, and it was scary and wasn’t easy, but I feel like it was the right thing to do for myself and the world.”

On the Dustin Lance Black controversy: “I’m not saying I’m perfect. Yes, I won’t out celebrities anymore but if there’s another situation like the Dustin Lance Black nude photos — I will for sure report that. It’s a different thing. [I don't regret it at all.] I got so much flak from the gay community for that and I found that very hypocritical. I’m not perfect and I might make mistakes and I’ll probably say or do things that will upset gay people in the future. And that’s OK, because I’m making a concerted effort to do things differently and be sincere about it and just be mindful of what I do and how I do it.”

On his feelings about outing from this day forward: “If I know someone is gay and in the closet I might just repeatedly say that person has a very pretty face [laughs]. I’m still going to be me. To me, that’s still being playful and sassy. But I’m not forcing anyone to come out. I’m not outing anyone. And I don’t even know that that’s what I’m going to do. I’m not putting myself in a box or saying “This is what I’ll do or won’t do.” It’s all going to be case by case, post by post situation. I’m just trying to be more thoughtful.”

Here is part of Perez being more thoughtful – his It Gets Better video to try and combat teen suicides:

FILE UNDER: Controversy

Comments

(All comments are reviewed before being published, and I review submissions several times per day.)

3 Remarks

  1. The fact that he doesn’t regret plubishing photos of Dustin Lance Black having sex explains everything I need to know about Perez. I watched the interview on Ellen today and I’m not impressed nor do I believe he is sincere. Ellen, you are being too generous to this guy. The best thing Perez Hilton can do for the gay community and the world is to quietly disappear into obscurity.

  2. I agree with the previous comment I have been disgusted by Perez in the past and I think this is nothing more then a publicity stunt to get on the recent suicides band wagon, in other words free exposure with no serious self reflection. We have seen him use the word fagot and then cry about how he himself was a victim and always use it as a publicity stunt.

    I refuse to believe this man does anything without an ulterior motive. I just wish his web site would just disappear along with him as well.

  3. October 15th, 2010 at 6:05 am
    David in Houston says:

    As far as I’m concerned, anyone that frequents any of his websites is a traitor to the gay community.

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