"They blame him who talks too much; they blame him who is silent; and they also blame him who speaks little," goes the Buddhist poem.

***

Our clever friend Perez Hilton was punched in the face the other night when he had a bit of a to-do with members of the Black Eyed Peas band. The openly gay Mr. Hilton then unwisely called someone in the band entourage – a "faggot." The matter is now in the hands of the law.

But GLAAD, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, is demanding that Hilton apologize for using an anti-gay slur. They say this "feeds the climate of hatred and intolerance."

Well, OK – sure. But this got me thinking. Did GLAAD rear up and ask Perez Hilton to apologize to the conservative beauty queen Carrie Prejean when the former "Miss California" answered pageant judge Hilton’s question about gay marriage? At that time, Perez referred to Prejean as a "bitch" and a "dumb cunt."

Forget what may be your opinion and/or mine about Miss Prejean, who has now found her voice and a forum for speaking out against gay marriage. Did she deserve to be so outrageously and viciously insulted even if millions did not agree with her? Did GLAAD have anything to say back then? Did it bother to correct Perez Hilton?

***

Since climates of hatred and intolerance and plain old uncivilized public discourse were on my mind, my office called GLAAD. They were stunned at the suggestion they should have rebuked Perez Hilton for his ugly attack on Ms. Prejean. "We are the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation; we defend gays and lesbians!"

"OK," said we, "but don’t you think it might have been excellent PR to denounce all hate talk, even by gays against those who don’t approve of them? Don’t you want to make the gay community look tolerant and civilized and high-minded when it comes to others with whom it disagrees?"

GLAAD’s spokesperson said again, "We are the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation; we defend gays and lesbians!" Well, as a woman, I do get it. It’s "selective denunciation" GLAAD is interested in.

As for Perez. He is a brilliant self-created gossip, entertainer and sarcastic philosopher when it comes to celebrity. (I was impressed when I met him, though his website is way over-the-top!) But he’ll do better to tame his tongue when it comes to public insults.

***

Cinda Firestone, grandchild of old Harvey and family inheritor of automobile tire millions, has gone from social circles right to humanitarian protests and even jail cells. She is distinguished for directing and producing the powerful documentary "Attica," all about the outrageous riot that made history in the infamous New York state prison.

"Attica" will have a 35th anniversary showing in Brooklyn at BAM on July 4. And Cinda is now busy penning her life story, which she’ll call From Debutante to Attica.

Just for fun, she is also writing the book and lyrics for the upcoming Broadway musical "Family Fortune," to be produced by her husband, Manny Fox. Mr. Fox is the guy who brought to the Great White Way the legendary 1981 Duke Ellington musical "Sophisticated Ladies."