Perez Hilton to Judge Condom Contest

Online gossip columnist Perez Hilton was among the judges announced today for the Los Angeles County Department of Health's inaugural contest to design a condom wrapper as part of an effort to encourage safe sex and raise awareness of disease prevention.

The contest will search for a condom-wrapper design that will be designated "L.A.'s Next Sex Symbol."

Also tapped to judge the contest were Oriol Gutierrez, deputy editor of POZ magazine; David Stern, publisher of Frontiers in LA Magazine; Pepe Torres, publisher of Adelante magazine; Sott McPherson, creative director of the Advocate magazine and co-founder of the Stigma Project; and Julia Alison, relationship columnist and star of BRAVO's new reality show Miss Advised.

County residents over 18 years of age can submit a photo or artwork entry by June 17 on the L.A. Sex Symbol website, lasexsymbol.com. The judges will pick the top 50 wrapper designs, and then voting will be opened to the public online.

Ten winners will receive donated prizes that will be announced on June 27, and their designs will appear on about 1 million condoms that will be distributed for free through ONE Condoms.

As of Wednesday, about 120 entries have been submitted.

Organizers said the program—funded by the DPH and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—is modeled on a similar program in New York and the design contest is "a fun way to bring it back to L.A."

The program's street team will distribute free condoms at the LA Pride/Christopher Street West parade and festival this weekend and make appearances at Art Walk events throughout the month to encourage contest submissions and condom use.

County officials said the effort is aimed at increasing condom use, raising awareness of HIV and STD prevention, and providing information about HIV/AIDS and STD treatment and care.

• Previously: