It seems everyone's had a shot at Perez Hilton this past day, following his scuffle with The Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am, his Twittering for help and his subsequent hissy fit on his website. If a straight man punches a gay man for calling him a "faggot," is it a hate crime?
None of this should matter much to anyone else — much less make national news — but Hilton is one of the most famous gay men in North America. He's very visible — even more so when, well, black-eyed. Like it or not, when he speaks, people pay attention — even the ones with cum dribbling out of their mouths.
And visibility is what's it about. I'll take insufferable Perez any day over the people who wish he'd be silent, people like US politician John Eichelberger, who says gay people don't need equal rights because those in charge "allow them to exist." Here's the gory details: