The Advocate - August 2009 Issue | advocate.com
In its over forty year history noted publication, The Advocate, has always been recognized for its provoking editorials. However, when news broke that controversial personality Perez Hilton had landed its August cover, after not only battling Miss USA contestant Carrie Prejean but just weeks after a scuffle and use of a gay slur towards Black Eyed Peas member Will.I.Am, a number of readers criticized the publication.
Addressing the issue at hand in a nearly three minute video Monday, The Advocate editor in chief Jon Barrett says "We thought readers would benefit from getting a closer look at who Perez Hilton really is".
"I agree with those of you who wrote in to say that there are many other important issues for the magazine to cover, from marriage equality to don't ask, don't tell, to employment and non discrimination. But there's no denying that in between the punches and the epithets Perez Hilton is talking about these issues too. And while many of us might disagree with the points or eloquence of his arguments, millions of Americans are paying attention to Perez and that reason alone is enough reason to put him on our cover."
While Perez Hilton has been associated with the ongoing struggle for equality in the United States, his decisions to cover and in some cases release compromising photos of (sans Academy Award winning Dustin Lance Black) fellow trailblazers on his top entertainment based website PerezHilton.com have blurred the line of respect often given to activists. In fact, Hilton was lambasted by GLAAD for his use of a slur often associated in a derogatory manner with the LGBT community in June.
According to The Advocate's Jon Barrett, each of the aforementioned issues were taken into consideration when the publication enlisted noted journalist Benoit Denizet-Lewis for Hilton's cover story:
"Benoit Denizet-Lewis' expertise became even more important after Perez made the very controversial and many might say despicable decision to post photos of Dustin Lance Black on his blog but, we already sent the magazine to the printing press by the time we heard of the dust up between Perez and Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas. And as many of you know we covered that news as it unfolded on advocate.com. More importantly though Benoit Denizet-Lewis was able to go back to Perez and ask him about the scuffle and his inflammatory decision to use a gay slur. This is all available in an update on our cover story, right here on advocate.com."
With every opinion taken into consideration, Barrett concluded his statement by renewing the publication's mission of not only covering "the people who speak out against us" but "also on those people who presume to speak for us".
"We can't be merely cheerleaders for the movement because that would require that we stand on the sidelines. Instead we want to be here with our readers in engaging and provoking conversations about how you and I are living our lives," says Barrett.
Hilton's updated story 'The Real Perez Hilton' can be read on Advocate.com or by clicking here.
The full video statement from The Advocate's Editor in Chief can be seen here.
How do you feel about the cover, has The Advocate gone too far ?
Comments
How sad to see The Advocate sink this low, taking the sub-tabloid route to sell magazines. I've been a subscriber for 20 years, but I canceled my subscription today because of this cover. Perez Hilton is an embarrassment to the LGBT community, and now so is The Advocate.
Wow the version on the website is worth reading. Perez displays his arrogance and stupidity even further but admitting he had considered calling Will I Am by the N word. Its really time the media and his readers stopped paying attention to him. He is destructive, verbally abusive, arrogant, bullying and sets back gay righs with his behaviour and outbursts.
@Kelvin: It's clear you didn't understand any of the message above. Did you read the story before dropping your subscription? I suppose the Advocate can be glad its ranks of mindless readers might be thinning a bit. Make room for the people who can look critically at an issue before making a snap judgement.
Kelvin, I could not agree more. I thought the Advocate was a class act, until now. And the excuse that they'd already sent to press is total BS. Anybody in the publishing world knows you can change a cover at the last minute.
Read the article before you pass judgements!!!!!!!!!!!!
If The Advocate chose to do a story about Perez Hilton (who in my opinion does a huge disservice to the LGBT Community), fine, so be it. But the cover, oh no... Now I think I know how African Americans feel when they complain that Al Sharpton does not speak for them / their community.
Cancelling my subscription as well.
I read the revised article on line, and I am still disgusted by The Advocate's crassness here. The Advocate's decision to leave him on the cover after calling Will I AM a f***** is the equivalent of the NAACP giving Isaiah Washington an Image Award after calling TR Knight a f*****. Like Perez himself, it makes all gay people look bad.
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