I think I am overdosed on celebrity news as a whole. I think the story is more how blogs have become the new medium for current information and perspectives. It is amazing that someone can just start up their own business with a laptop and a good internet connection. What Perez has done is amazing with over 2 million hits per day. I started a blog on houses, interiors and gardens and am happy if I get 10 hits a day. www.tedwight.com

I have no problem with outing celebs if they are dismissive of the GLBT commuinity, or make anti-gay comments, or vehemently assert their heterosexuality when they are not. If they want to be closeted, that's their right. But if they're asserting their affected het status by trashing GLBT's, then they deserve to have their hypocrisy exposed.

In that sense, I think Perez needs to stop going after the "easy" targets like Lance Bass and go after the assholes like David Dreier. But at the same time, doing so would imply that being outed as gay is a bad thing and should be "exposed" to the public. I'm torn on this, but truth be told, I love gossip as much as the next guy and love hearing about who closeted celebs are zooming. The entire Marc Jacobs Jason Preston debacle was my personal fave

I like his old manhunt pics.

Perez is primarily about self-promotion regardless of where the chips fall. What did Bass or Harris ever do to be a target? While Lance's career is history, Neil Patrick Harris is an excellent actor and being 'outed' unfortunately hurts his chances in getting acting roles.

While Perez has his nose up Paris Hilton's a**, Mike Rogers is busy doing a number on closeted gay politicos who talk out of both sides of their mouths.

I think Perez Hilton is just an attention whore. I have to agree with Bruce Vilanch, he's essentially a professional gay. I find it impossible to believe that his outing of celebrities comes from anything but selfish reasons.

Personally I don't think it's anyone's business what someone's sexual orientation is. I don't care whether someone is in the public eye or not. I think most would agree that coming out of the closet is a very personal process, an no one has the right to force someone out of it on any level.

If an 18 year-old girl can sue the Orange County School District for outing her to her mother (here), what gives some self-serving gay troll the right to do it, just because someone is in the public eye?

i honestly don't think that perez hilton gives a rat's ass if we like him or not. we are talking about him and that is enough.
i have meet with him a couple of times. he takes all the personal attacks on him in stride. i know that he works very hard to keep his website the happening place it is.

what i think is so fucking remarkable is that, just like his namesake, paris, perez has made a huge glamorous glittery mountain out of a mole hill. so at the very least, one has to admit he is a marketing genius.

i have had several request from all over the country, wanting me to get something, a product, a cd, or dvd to perez for a possible mention.

he has off coursed pissed off a lot of high level A GAYS in this process, and whenever one does this, they are open to massive scrutiny.
however, i will take perez hilton over john mcmullen, hrc, victory fund, or any other person or persons that take gay money and give little in return.

the fact that we are talking about perez hilton being on multiple magazines and tv shows, is a sign of his success.

does he deserve it? does paris? does andy dick?
does mel gibson?

of course the right answer to this question is
that none of these people deserve it more than
jack e. jett, but i am, at this time, just happy being a
gay sex symbol

jack jett

perez is disgusting, he should wear a plastic bag over his head, everytime he leaves his house.

I have to stongly disagree with David (Hauslaib). By what journalistic standard is Perez Hilton "news"? Because people are talking about him and he is publishing silly pictures and insipid gossip on a website?? If that's the standard, then the blogosphere and print media better start writing a lot more articles on everyone else out there, lest they fail to report the "news".

No, what Perez (and Paris, etc. for that matter) is, is money. People with nothing better to do with their time will read articles reporting on his shenanigans, which translates into advertising dollars for those who publish the "stories". Nothing he does is newsworthy (outing not-really-closeted minor celebrities for no apparent purpose? wearing ridiculously bad clothes? Please...) so there is no other explanation

Dave

Out gays carry the burden for every closeted pussy out there....daily. Out gays make it easier for closeted gays to take for granted all of the subtle little freedoms afforded them in satisfying their discreet carnal and sometimes emotional needs. Being an out gay person, particularly in America, is still a burden. One need only look at the legislation, bashings, and disproportionate numbers of twenty-something American fags identifying as "Bi" on their online profiles as part of a collection of indicators of this burden. Staying in the closet helps no one, least of all yourself. So get the fuck out, pussies! Carry the burden!

Why are we always coddling and making excuses for closet cases?

No one cares that it's too dangerous or that your family will hate you, you're going to have to come out sometime in your life anyway. Do you think the people who came out before you all let the exact same reasons stop them? It's time to stop riding our coattails.

What else do you get for coming out other than carrying the burden? The ability to live an open productive life wherein you may actually be able to truly love all of yourself.

Hopefully, we won't have him to kick around much longer, because he's being sued for $7.5 million over stealing copyrighted photos from the X17 agency. Seven other photo agencies are considering suits as well. Keep that in mind, Queerty.

I have a friend who is a pro photograher and he'd like nothing better for people that steal copyrighted material than to have them boiled in hot oil.

Tick tick tick Mario Lavendeira, your 15 minutes are almost up, you sad little wannabe from the shitholes of East LA.

> If an 18 year-old girl can sue the Orange County School
> District for outing her to her mother (here), what gives some
> self-serving gay troll the right to do it, just because someone
> is in the public eye?

A bit off-topic, but since you asked...

The girl in Orange County is suing because her school violated her Constitutional right to privacy. The Constitution only applies to what the government does -- not what private individuals or entities do. That's why you have a right to free speech, for example, in public spaces, but not in private ones. A public school is considered part of the government; someone like Perez is not.

That doesn't mean he's not subject to other laws if he breaks them, like if he violates copyright or libels someone, but there's a huge difference between the O.C. case and what he does.

I dont understand why anyone has the "right" to be closeted about their homosexuality. Would you ever say someone has the right to be closeted about their race? Their eye color? Well maybe - its a free world. But we have to start looking at it as if its obsurd.

ditto what paul edwards says. treating your being gay like some big, dark, horrible secret that might be exposed is insane and it does make it harder on all out gay people who are treated like they are some oddity because certainly nobody famous like a politician or a movie star or a religious leader or an athelete ... or your boss or your neighbor or your dad ... could possibly be gay when, in fact, many (if not most) of them ARE, blanche. 3 percent ? please .. 10 percent ? .. yeah, right ... more like 30 percent if all the pussies would just come the fuck out already.
as for perez : he started a website on which he jealously wished he could be part of the 'in crowd' of celebritydom and now he's invited to all the parties and is a celeb in his own right, so good for him. if he's happy, i'm happy.. why should i give a shit either way ?

I'm conflicted when it comes to my feelings about Perez, but I'd have to side with jack e jett on the fact that he was smart in using the system to his advantage.

On the issue of outing, I think that in a sanctioned context of gossip there is not enough argument against it (except maybe for "methodology") - As for the rest what I think it truly is' a terrorist tactic meant to make a few people shake in their boots. At the end of the day, Perez has as much power as you and me to change things in the greater realm of our heterosexist culture.

Anyway I started writing a comment but it turned into an essay so click to read more on what I mean.

On Perez Hilton, Gay Rights and The New Law of Outing Terrorism

I think you should read my blog. Only cause unlike so many other gay people, I can actually discuss a variety of things other than celebrities with a unique perspective being the 'straightest gay guy' most people have known. OK, some friends told me that.
getrichindallas.blog.com

Is Perez Hiton's tactics any different than that of other news sources such as Fox or even WND? Each uses the bigotry and extreme polarization of America for it's personal agenda. The problem isn't in what is reported on the media, it's who's watching it. Continuing to seek these kinds of media only feeds the PH's of the world and cannot be blamed or scrutinized by those of us who continue to watch.

"Is he an actual story or just another gay troll who desperately wanted to make a name for himself?"

Aren't all innovators little trolls at heart? I mean -- when we look at people like Bill Gates or Donald Trump, charismatic stud-muffin isn't the first thing that comes to mind.

I would rather lick George Bush's ass hole than look at Perez Hilton in the face. What a peice of shit.