GLAAD criticizes Hilton for anti-gay slurs

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LOS ANGELES, June 23 (UPI) -- The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation has criticized Hollywood gossip blogger Perez Hilton for using anti-gay slurs in a recent online video.

The openly gay Hilton called Black Eyes Peas singer will.i.am a "faggot" after the two reportedly were involved in a heated confrontation after a Toronto awards show this week that ended in the arrest of the Peas's manager for allegedly assaulting Hilton.

Hilton and will.i.am then took to the Internet to accuse each other of lying about the incident.

In Hilton's video blog, he ranted at the recording artist: "I don't need to respect you, and you're a fag. You're gay, and stop being such a faggot," E! News reported.

The comments prompted a swift response from GLAAD.

"These are vulgar anti-gay slurs that feed a climate of hatred and intolerance toward our community," Rashad Robinson, senior director of Media Programs at GLAAD, said in a statement issued to E! "For someone in our own community to use it to attack another person by saying that it is '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."