Equality California has had a rough go of it over the past few years. First, they were accused of messing up the Proposition 8 campaign, then they were chastised for deciding to wait until 2012 to challenge the marriage ban. But they certainly made the right decision when they chose to accept Miss California’s offer of 30 seconds of free ad time during the televised pageant this Sunday.

The group will be airing a touching little montage of a teenage girl and her two moms. It’s not too cheesy, won’t bring a tear to your eye, but it gets the job done.

The point is not really the ad, though.

Pageants are a phenomenon in all sorts of places where being gay is a serious problem. Beauty contests are important to parts of the country that never are exposed to the issue of homosexuality. We saw this during the first Prejean uproar – people were outraged that the pageant even addressed issues of sexuality at all. And that controversy did raise awareness, but it did so without much control over the message. We had Perez Hilton on our side ( not exactly a veteran gay rights spokesperson) and they had Miss Prejean (a complete dud as far as anyone can tell and certainly after the Larry King incident).

This time, that same audience (and maybe more given the news coverage) will see the issue of gay marriage as presented by a large, experienced advocacy organization. Finally, a spokesperson we can beleive in.

Sunday will be a moment, as in any campaign, where control is taken back, the issue is reframed and the agenda is refocused. If we are going to have that moment, best to have it in front of an audience that is more conservative, more sheltered and less supportive than the general population of San Francisco.

Molina allegedly punched Hilton from behind outside a Toronto nightclub after the openly gay blogger called Black Eyed Peas’ leader will.i.am a “faggot,” a slur for homosexuals.

Following the hearing, Molina’s lawyer Mark Sandler read the written apology outside court.

“I apologize for what I did on June 22 of 2009, even though you engaged in highly offensive comments … I acknowledge that these kinds of issues should not be resolved through a physical response,’ the apology read.

Hilton told The Associated Press in an e-mail he was happy Molina had accepted responsibility for his actions.

“I look forward to reading his letter of apology,” Hilton said in the e-mail.

Hilton, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira, claims he got into an argument with band members Fergie and will.i.am inside the nightclub and was punched outside by Molina.

Shortly after the incident, the blogger posted the following message on the Twitter Web site: “I am bleeding. Please, I need to file a police report. No joke.”

Hilton’s lawyer, Brian Greenspan, said they were unhappy with the choice of words in Molina’s apology, but it was ultimately accepted.

Molina has also agreed not to contact Hilton except through his lawyer, not to carry any weapons for 12 months and not to come within 100 meters (100 yards) of the night club where the dispute took place.

He was also required to donate $500 Canadian (US$476) to charity.

“I think everything that needed to be said has pretty much been said,” Molina said as he left the courthouse. “Yes, I do regret the whole night.”

He’s made a name for himself so well that he is not just any blogger. He’s an all-around celebrity.

CNN recently reported on the relationship between Perez Hilton’s sexuality and nationality.

It is no secret that Perez Hilton is gay. But it may be a surprise to some that the controversial blogger is Latino.

The Latino community is often known for being devout Catholics and has had a reputation for being largely homophobic.  So it’s amazing to see a proud Cuban-American who is also a proud gay activist.

CNN reports:

“Hilton is a Latino pioneer. He is one of the first Latino public figures in the U.S. to be openly gay. While Latinos have broken ground on the U.S. Supreme Court, in Hollywood and in professional sports, gay Latinos in the nation’s public arena remain largely invisible.

“Hilton says deep-seated homophobia within the Latino community has forced many gay Latinos to go underground, but attitudes are shifting.”

Gay Latinos aren’t something the MSM usually reports on- although Perez might not be the most attractive candidate for Gay Latino of the Year, it’s great for gay Latinos to have a public face.  Kudos to CNN.

Selena Watkins is a 365gay.com editorial intern

Court records show Prejean sued California pageant executive director Keith Lewis and actress and former Miss USA Shanna Moakler in Los Angeles on Monday.

Prejean was fired in June by pageant officials, who cited missed scheduled appearances.

Prejean’s attorney says that’s not true and his client was ousted because of controversial remarks in April during the Miss USA pageant that marriage should be between a man and a woman.

Representatives for Lewis and Moakler said they had no public comment yet on the lawsuit.

Her lawsuit claims they told Prejean to stop mentioning God.

Writing about Perez Hilton, the dirty mouth of Hollywood, makes me want to shower to get the grime off. So this is it for me. Unless I hear Hilton is producing a bio-pic on Lester Young, I’m finished. While he likes to be the center of any party, his ego will not suffer from my embargo. People know the name Perez Hilton. You only say mine  if you are looking for fries with your meal.

Hilton got a good cover spread in the most recent Advocate. He talks about his affinity with Madonna and Oprah, his run-in with Will.I.Am  how much he despises dishonesty, that his calling is a civil rights leader(!) blah, blah, blah. When  he talks about the aftermath of the Toronto drama, Hilton offers platitudes that would shame any self respecting Lifetime movie writer.

“But what’s come out of all of this is that I’ve learned so much about myself, and I’m in a much better place. I’m actually thankful that it happened. As cheesy as it may sound, I had almost a spiritual moment when I just let all of the anger and worry go and am now filled with peace, happiness, and wisdom.”

Aside from that drippy and silly mess, Hilton also says he wanted to call Will.I.Am something else.

“I thought about calling him the n word, but I thought the f word was even worse. I was so filled with hate at that moment because I was hated on so much, and I reacted in the worst way possible.”

So instead of nigger, Hilton went for faggot? Jeesh, is there a reason to even be surprised? This is a guy who is certain calling Carrie Prejean a female dog has nothing to do with his sexism because he just adores women. Short history lesson Ms. Hilton: America gave gold medalist Jesse Owens a ticker-tape parade when he returned from Munich in 1936, but he still had to sit in the back of the bus. I have this silly habit of looking for more than bigoted taunting from someone who considers his vocation civil rights. I can get name calling from a few  Chicago t-shirts thank you very much.

This “thinking”should not  surprise coming from a guy who just wants to be sure his name is mentioned. Well I’ve done it for the last time.

After the first reports about Jackson’s failing health, Hilton wrote that he doubted Jackson had gone into cardiac arrest. In a post that has since been removed from PerezHilton.com, the celebrity blogger speculated that Jackson was pulling a stunt to get out of his upcoming concerts in London.

Hilton’s skepticism, of course, proved unfounded – and many have called for a boycott of the blogger. Hundreds of users on Twitter have urged others to “unfollow” Hilton on the microblogging service. Pete Wentz of the band Fall Out Boy was among the celebrities who chastised Hilton.

Hilton (real name: Mario Lavandeira) didn’t return e-mails requesting comment.

He did, though, tweet many times about the situation, claiming that he was owning up to his mistake and that he was “genuinely feeling sorry that he died and sorry for his kids.”

On Thursday, Hilton apologized for using a gay slur during a nightclub altercation Monday with Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am. The altercation resulted in the band’s tour manager being charged with assault for allegedly punching Hilton.

Hilton apologized after the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation pressed him to apologize.

The celebrity blogger, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira, sued the Peas’ road manager in Los Angeles for battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. He is seeking unspecified damages of more than $25,000.

The suit states Hilton is seeking to protect his rights to free speech and claims Polo Molina attacked him because he made critical comments about the Black Eyed Peas’ new album. Molina was arrested in Toronto early Monday after he allegedly punched Hilton following a heated argument between the blogger and Black Eyed Peas leader will.i.am.

An e-mail sent to the group’s publicist was not immediately returned Wednesday. Molina is due to appear in court Aug. 5.

“Perez Hilton was assaulted by the band’s road manager because he would not agree to stop writing about the Black Eyed Peas on his Web site Perezhilton.com,” Bryan Freedman, Hilton’s lawyer, said in a statement. “Whether you love Perez or hate him, he is entitled to his freedom of speech without fear of physical violence. This lawsuit will make the statement that violence is never the answer.”

The lawsuit details the events leading up to Molina’s alleged attack on the blogger.

The complaint states Black Eyed Peas vocalist Fergie approached Hilton on Saturday and asked why he was writing “mean” things about her and the group. Hilton replied that he was “simply being honest and truthful about his opinions of them,” according to the lawsuit.

On Sunday, Hilton claims he was pushed by an unidentified member of the Black Eyed Peas’ entourage, who “slammed his shoulder into Hilton’s shoulder and thereafter pushed him.”

The lawsuit claims Fergie again approached him at an afterparty for the MuchMusic Video Awards on Sunday night and that his argument with will.i.am happened at another party. The lawsuit claims the blogger was trying to leave that party when Molina punched him at least three times.

“Lavandeira sustained injury to his eye and was bleeding as a result of this violent and malicious attack,” the lawsuit claims.

His damage claims include medical costs and damages due to “humiliation, mental anguish, and emotional and physical distress.” The lawsuit also claims that Molina is on probation in California for a drunken driving conviction under his real name, Liborio Molina.

Hilton, who is openly gay, said Monday that he called will.i.am a “faggot,” a gay slur, inside the club after the musician told the blogger not to write about his band on his Web site.

He posted about the attack on the popular microblogging site Twitter on Monday, and has since rejected a call by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation to apologize for using the term.

The Black Eyed Peas’ newest album, “The E.N.D,” has proved popular, ranking No. 1 on last week’s Billboard magazine’s charts for R&B/Hip-Hop albums. Singles from the album have also proved popular in other rankings.

The openly gay gossip blogger said in a statement Tuesday that he would continue to say things upsetting to gay and straight people alike. The comments came after the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation called for Hilton to apologize Monday for unleashing the word during an altercation at a nightclub with Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am.

“I wish none of it had happened,” said Hilton, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira. “I can’t take it back. I did what I thought was best at the moment to stand up for myself in a nonviolent yet still assertive way. Clearly, I am not homophobic. Also, I am not nor have I ever claimed to be a spokesperson for the gay community.”

Hilton said he used the gay slur because he thought it would be the worst thing he could possibly say to will.i.am. after the musician told the blogger not to write about his band on his Web site. Police charged the band’s tour manager with assault for allegedly punching Hilton during the confrontation at a Toronto nightclub early Monday morning.

“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,” said GLAAD media programs senior director Rashad Robinson. “It legitimizes use of a slur that is often linked to violence against our community.”

Earlier this year, Hilton incited a brouhaha when he asked then Miss California USA Carrie Prejean if every state should follow Vermont in legalizing same sex marriage. Her response that “marriage should be between a man and a woman” received more attention than the winner. Prejean, who was later dethroned, said she lost her crown because of the comment.

Let’s give Perez Hilton a standing ovation. With Carrie Prejean now on the conservative chicken dinner circuit, Hilton needed another enemy to keep his name in the press. So he quickly dumped his status as spokesperson for gay marriage and now will be the poster boy for anti-gay violence.

Hilton got into an altercation with Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas in Toronto. Hilton, who made a video describing the whole evening, decided to throw an anti-gay epithet at the singer and got smacked by the band’s manager. Last time I checked Polo Molina, the guy accused of the assault, turned himself in to the Toronto police.

Because this is a Hilton story, it is a mess of drama. Hilton says he was with Lady Gaga when all of this happened, but as of now she has not said anything about the early morning fracas. After he was allegedly hit, Hilton made sure his pleas for police assistance were on his Twitter page, like any good media whore professional would. Finally, Hilton’s video describing what happened is the funniest thing I’ve seen since Dave Chappelle walked away from his show. The hysterics. The tears. The emotion. The bromides against violence. Someone give the man an award for this performance art.

If Molina is guilty of hitting the Hilton, the band’s manager needs to be punished. We all can agree on that. Yet, Hilton’s choice to throw out the f word indicates all I need to know. Oh, yeah he’ll go on and on and on about gay rights and such but has no problem with using a gay slur if it means money in his purse.

Toronto police have made an arrest in response to an assault that happened at 3 a.m. in a downtown Toronto club. The victim of the assault, who was not named, suffered minor injuries following the incident, said Toronto Police Constable Tony Vella.

Hilton, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira, took to the social media site Twitter following the incident, making pleas for help and accusing group member will.i.am of performing the assault. Will.i.am, whose real name is William J. Adams, created his own Twitter page to respond to the accusations.

The two have also taken to posting videos on their own respective websites to give their version of the incident. In the video, Lavandeira accuses a manager for the Black Eyed Peas of punching him several times after he had a confrontation with will.i.am.

Read the full Globe and Mail story here.