President Obama's Gay-Marriage Support: Perez Hilton Weighs In

'I almost don't want to applaud him too much, because I wish he would have done this a long time ago,' blogger tells MTV News.
By Kara Warner

Perez Hilton
Photo: Jason Merritt/ Getty Images

continues to be a hot topic of conversation. Just about everyone has an opinion on the issue, including Hollywood's movers and shakers.

With all the overwhelming enthusiasm for the president's announcement, there is also cautious optimism on the subject, given the issue's continued hot-button status in pop culture, as well as around the nation. Perez Hilton is a public figure who counts himself among the cautiously optimistic, mostly because the issue is so loaded and political.

"It was definitely happy news, but I almost don't want to applaud him too much, because I wish he would have done this a long time ago," Hilton told MTV News. "Having said that, it's better that he did it than not. He could have waited until after the election. However, it's clearly a calculated move in that he felt confident that this won't hurt his chances at getting re-elected, and that's why he did it."

Hilton went on to say that he will happily applaud the president for his actions, but not too loudly.

"He's still playing a [political] game, it is what it is, and it's still something that is positive and a step in the right direction," he said. "I think it's ultimately a self-defeating fight, because gay marriage is a given. It's going to happen, it's just a question of how soon and, of course, as a gay man and someone who believes in equal rights for all, I would rather it happen sooner rather than later."

Speaking to the involvement of Hollywood — and, more specifically, the news that "Glee" creator Ryan Murphy announced Thursday (May 10) his plans to host a fundraiser for Obama during his visit to Los Angeles — Hilton emphasized the fact that same-sex marriage is an issue that everyone should be talking about and aware of, not just celebrities.

"I think Hollywood is great — I'm part of it — but I also feel like same-sex marriage and quality is an issue that is important everywhere," he said. "I think an everyday person can be just as or more effective in creating change than celebrities. It is important to have people in Hollywood to talk about it, important for people to be out of the closet, important to have represented in the media, but it's just as powerful for everybody to do their part. There are a lot more famous people than non-famous people.

"Obviously, I think [Obama] has done great work," Hilton continued. "My biggest wish for this country is in 20 years we have a viable at least four-party system. People need more options than just a Democratic candidate and a Republican candidate. I wish we had four great candidates from different parties to choose from. It's time to change the way things work. It's been this way for so long. It needs to evolve and grow.

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