 She has indeed expressed that she "started a whole new genre of celebrity that no one had ever seen before".Despite the public's negative perception on her, Hilton is considered a pop culture and gay icon.She attributes much of her success to her gay fan following, and while the derogatory comments she made in 2012 caused a hit in her popularity with the LGTBQ community, "Gay Times", which featured her in its December 2018 cover and main issue, described her as an "ally" who uses "her platform as an advocate for minority groups".