TORONTO - Perez Hilton is upset that a gay rights group is criticizing him for using an anti-gay slur during his recent verbal dust-up with will.i.am.
The celebrity blogger engaged in a heated war of words with the Black Eyed Peas singer on Monday, alleging that the band's manager had punched him in the eye following the MuchMusic Video Awards.
The two men posted various tweets and videos giving their version of events.
In one video, Hilton, who is openly gay, said he called will.i.am a "faggot" in the lead-up to the alleged altercation.
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation subsequently issued a statement decrying Hilton's use of the slur, saying it feeds a climate of "hatred and intolerance" toward the gay community.
In an email to The Canadian Press, Hilton -- who says he's a former GLAAD employee -- said he was upset by the organization's reaction.
"I am saddened GLAAD chose to victimize me further by criticizing me for how I non-violently dealt with a very scary situation that, unfortunately, turned violent," Hilton wrote Tuesday.
"While I doubt I will get an apology from GLAAD, nor do I expect one, I would just hope people know how difficult it is to intellectualize a situation and think rationally when a thug disguised as a musician is screaming at your face and intimidating you.
"I am just very fortunate and grateful that nothing more serious happened to me."
Hilton -- whose real name is Mario Lavandeira -- said in the video post that he'd had words over the weekend with Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie, who was upset about some of the things he'd written about her on his website.
Then, he said, at an MMVA after-party, will.i.am approached him "like a heat-seeking missile" and asked him not to write about the Black Eyed Peas again.
Hilton said he didn't want to let will.i.am intimidate him and decided to use the slur.
"I knew it was going to set him off," Hilton said in the video post.
He said he left the club, but was met outside by will.i.am and alleges he was subsequently punched in the eye by Black Eyed Peas tour manager Polo Molina.
Molina faces an assault charge and is due in a Toronto court in August.
GLAAD said in the statement that they have asked Hilton to apologize for using the slur.
"These are vulgar anti-gay slurs that feed a climate of hatred and intolerance toward our community," said Rashad Robinson, senior director of media programs at GLAAD.
"For someone in our own community to use it to attack another person by saying that it is, quote, '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."
But Hilton said he would not apologize, and that he's never claimed to be a spokesperson for the gay community.
He said in a statement late Tuesday that he will continue to say things upsetting to gay and straight people alike.
