Perez Hilton Betrays Dustin Lance Black

The gay rights movement has always been pockmarked with "traitors" from within (Roy Cohn, anyone?), but the treachery always came from the right, not the left. That all changed a few days ago when Perez Hilton posted x-rated pics of Dustin Lance Black, a beloved, rising star in the movement. Black won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Milk, Gus Van Zandt's ferociously moving bio-pic. He burst into the limelight with a poignant acceptance speech aimed at lonely, isolated gay kids.

1. He's hot.
2. He's eloquent.
3. He's hot.

Yet, Hilton threw him under the bus.

Just to give you a sense of who Perez Hilton betrayed, here's the transcript of Dustin Lance Black's Oscar acceptance speech:

"I wanna thank my mom, who has always loved me for who I am even when there was pressure not to. But most of all, if Harvey had not been taken from us 30 years ago, I think he'd want me to say to all of the gay and lesbian kids out there tonight who have been told that they are less than by their churches, by the government or by their families, that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures of value and that no matter what anyone tells you, God does love you and that very soon, I promise you, you will have equal rights federally, across this great nation of ours. Thank you. Thank you. And thank you, God, for giving us Harvey Milk."

Dustin Lance Black has heart. He's a green shoot sprouting from the darkness cast by the often ossified tree trunks of institutional organizations like HRC. Perez Hilton stomped on it with the heel of a heavy, steel-reinforced boot. He didn't just publish run-of-the-mill x-rated pictures; they were shocking, TRIPLE XXX photos guaranteed to repulse Straight America. Perez Hilton betrayed Dustin Lance Black and everything he stood for. Namely, us. Every man, woman and child who's ever been forced to prove their humanity should be sickened by what Perez Hilton did.

Instead of elevating Black to higher ground, Hilton elevated him to the hook pinatas swing from. He took a guy who's helping millions reconcile faith and family with their sexual orientation and turned him into a porn star.

Dustin Lance Black is not a victim of friendly fire; he is the victim of a premeditated character assassination. When Black saw the blood on the floor he must've looked up expecting to see the Huns on the right holding the knife. Instead, he saw one of his own.

As he staggered back against the wall, you can just imagine what Black must have thought: "Et tu, Perez?"

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