Dustin Lance Black, Oscar winning screenwriter of Milk, is the next celebrity to fall victim to a ‘sex tape scandal’. Photos of him having unprotected sex were leaked to photo agency Starzlife on Friday, and were thrust into the mainstream by celebrity blogger Perez Hilton.

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Black has issued a statement about the incident.

“It is unfortunate that individuals and other outside parties are trying to profit from material which is clearly private,” said Black, before highlighting the importance of having safe sex. “I have had the privilege to speak to people across the country, both gay and straight, on a number of critical issues including safe sex. More important than the embarrassment of this incident is the misleading message these images send. I apologise and cannot emphasise enough the importance of responsible sexual practices.”

At the moment only still images of the star have been published on Perez Hilton’s blog (Not Safe For Work), but it is rumoured that video footage will soon follow.

An opinion editorial published by Mark Pasetsky at The Huffington Post has criticised Perez for publishing the photos. “It’s Perez Hilton who once again has crossed the line and has shown that he is a complete hypocrite,” says Pasetsky, and that even though Perez warns all people not to make sex tapes incase they get leaked down the track, Pesetsky says that in no way means he should feel entitled to post them on his site.

“At what point did you think pressing the publish button was a good idea? ... Not only does Perez show his complete lack of good judgment, he demonstrates the highest level of hypocrisy. On the one hand, Perez is bashing the former Miss California Carrie Prejean for not supporting gay marriage. Meanwhile, he intentionally brings down a gay man who made a mistake in the privacy of his own home – which will only make it harder for gays in this country to secure equal rights.”

A day after the photos were leaked Lance fronted up to the LifeWorks fundraising gala in Los Angeles. Black is a mentoring honoree for the organisation, which pairs mentors with LGBT youth. Black is writing currently writing for TV series Big Love and is also writing the screenplay for another Gus Van Sant film, an adaptation of Tom Wolfe’s The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, which is rumoured to star Woody Harrelson and Jack Black. He’s also booked in to act as grand marshal in the upcoming New York City Pride parade.