Perez Hilton, one of the most widely-read blogs on the internet, is the pen name of a gay Latino blogger, one Mario Lavandeira. You probably knew that already. But did you know that Perez feels he’s paving the way for gays and lesbians who want to come out of the closet by talking up their sexuality on the blog? His mission is to “out” as many celebs as possible:

On that point, as he sees it, they have forfeited their right to privacy.

“In American culture, a lot of people still think that being gay is bad and that being gay will hurt your career. I generally don’t think that.”

Perez apparently decided to go with a pseudonym when angry Clay Aiken fans were after him for saying their idol was gay. That was the beginning of his outing crusade, and Perez makes no apologies for it:

“I am not some safe, cookiecutter, queer-eye-for-thestraight-guy homo,” said Hilton, who pings between comedy and gross vulgarity on his site, perezhilton.com. “I am dangerous. I am going to push the envelope. I am going to be who I am: a loud, gay Latino that has opinions. In my own way, subserviently, I am trying to make the world a better place.”

And it seems that some have taken him up on the offer. Hilton credits himself for making it easier for ex ‘N Sync member Lance Bass to come out on the cover of People magazine recently.

So is it ethical to kick people out of the closet when they aren’t ready to come out? Probably not. But, as the article cited here points out, blogs are making things happen faster than traditional media, and in this case speeding up entry into celebs’ private lives.

Via / Columbus Dispatch and Hispanic Tips

Image via Access Hollywood