Is it me or does it seem like Perez Hilton has been under more public scrutiny these last couple months than ever before. And it all seems to have started when he embarrassed Miss California when she admitted that she was anti- gay marriage.

Perez Hilton, gossip queen, is on the August 2009 issue of Advocate magazine.

Here are some highlights from Perez’s interview. The magazine went to print before the whole Will.i.am incident, so most the interview below was done via phone days later. In his interview he talks about losing weight and being more healthy, about the Will.i.am incident, Madonna being his role model, his two different public identities (the gossip columnist and gay activist), and dished about his dating life.

On his new lean body:

“I’ve been working so hard on my health and my body,” he tells me sometime during the 20 minutes it takes us to drive four blocks, “and I’m almost to the point where I’m comfortable enough to show it off. When I am, I’m going to be naked, all the time, everywhere. I’m going to be like Marc Jacobs. Every photo shoot he does, he’s naked. That’s going to be me.”

On the whole Will.i.am “Fa**ot” incident:

“I’ve always known that a lot of gays didn’t like me, but after this it felt like no gays liked me. It was one of the worst weeks of my life.”

“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. Then I went on to make a bunch of other mistakes. I shouldn’t have made the video. I shouldn’t have released so many statements. 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. I could let this jade me and go back to being the super bitch that I was when I first started the website, but I’ve softened on my website and in life, maybe because I’m happier in my personal life than I’ve ever been.”

On his role model Madonna:

“In times of doubt I ask myself, What would Madonna do? For the majority of her career, she was as equally hated as she was loved. She went from one controversy to another, but she just worked through it. She didn’t let it affect her. And that’s what I’m going to do. Even if I feel battered and hopeless and that the whole world is against me like I did during the week after this happened, I’m just going to soldier on.”

On the conflict between his roles as a gossip blogger and gay rights activist:

“I don’t really separate the two parts of me like that. Vote for Gay Marriage. I mean, I’m gay, and I make no apologies for that. Ever. I’m just being me. Besides, there are a lot gayer people out there than me. On the gay scale, I’m probably a 6 out of 10. I could be way gayer! But what’s wrong with being gay, anyway? Nothing. I love being gay! I’m gay. I suck c*ck. I went on this date the other night with this guy who said he didn’t like sucking c*ck, and I was like, ‘Excuse me? I don’t have time for you.’ I’m gay. I’m very gay. And I like sucking c*ck. A lot. Put that on your cover!”

On dating:

“I know I didn’t show it there, but I’ve actually gotten much better about asking out guys that I’m attracted to! I’m definitely on the prowl for dates. And to my surprise, a lot of guys that I’ve asked have said yes.”

How does he know if someone is dating him only because he’s a celebrity? “

I think I’m self-aware enough to figure that out,” he says. “But if it’s just for a casual date, I don’t care if someone’s using me. I’ll use them right back. I know how to play this game.”