Pop Singer Ricky Martin Comes Out

[The Pecman]

Ricky Martin says he's 'a fortunate homosexual man'

By Alan Duke, CNN

March 29, 2010 5:58 p.m. EDT

"These years in silence and reflection ... reminded me that acceptance has to come from within," Ricky Martin says.

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Pop singer Ricky Martin declared publicly this week what he avoided discussing for years: He is gay.

"I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man," Martin wrote on his official Web site. "I am very blessed to be who I am."

A decade ago, when ABC's Barbara Walters pressed Martin to address rumors about his sexuality, he declined to confirm or deny them. "I just don't feel like it," Martin said.

Now, Martin wrote, "these years in silence and reflection made me stronger and reminded me that acceptance has to come from within and that this kind of truth gives me the power to conquer emotions I didn't even know existed."

The 39-year-old Puerto Rican native started off with the Latin boy band Menudo before launching his solo career in 1991.

His song "Livin' La Vida Loca" rose to the top of the music charts in 1999 and propelled Martin to stardom.

Martin said he decided years ago to not share "my entire truth" with the world because people he loved warned him that "everything you've built will collapse."

"Allowing myself to be seduced by fear and insecurity became a self-fulfilling prophecy of sabotage," he wrote. "Today I take full responsibility for my decisions and my actions."

The decision to come out was initiated a few months ago, when he began writing his memoirs, he said. "I got very close to my truth," he wrote.

"From the moment I wrote the first phrase I was sure the book was the tool that was going to help me free myself from things I was carrying within me for a long time," he wrote. "Things that were too heavy for me to keep inside."

Martin said that disclosing his secret is important because of his two sons, born via surrogate.

"To keep living as I did up until today would be to indirectly diminish the glow that my kids where born with," he wrote.

"Enough is enough. This has to change. This was not supposed to happen five or 10 years ago, it is supposed to happen now. Today is my day, this is my time, and this is my moment."

Writing the seven paragraphs, he said, "is a solid step towards my inner peace and vital part of my evolution."

"What will happen from now on? It doesn't matter. I can only focus on what's happening to me in this moment."

http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Music/03/2...dex.html?hpt=T2

[Guest BTDT]

We have all had to come to grips with WHO and WHAT we are. Some of us just take a little longer. On in his case I but he just figured it out about last week. It is a real shame that he was getting bad advice from all these "straight friends" who thought that he probably could change or didn't have to be that way. Like getting the chickens in the hen house to advise the fox that he really did not need to eat chickens. I suppose that chickens is a bad example, but such is life.

Give the buy a break. We could at least pretend to say okay, another one for our side finally woke up and smelled the coffee or whatever it takes to get his attention. I could think of something better than coffee, but this site is rated PG-13 I think.

[The Pecman]

On in his case I bet he just figured it out about last week.

C'mon, the guy is almost 40 and has millions of dollars. There were pictures of Martin cavorting in the surf with shirtless hunks more than ten years ago. It's actually old news.

Martin never refuted claims he was gay; he just refused to comment on it. Famously, Barbara Walters confronted him about it a decade ago, but he steadfastly wouldn't say either way. Barbara now says she regrets pushing the issue, and it's interesting to note all his Top 40 American hits came to an end in 2001 (not that long after the interview).

I'm curious if he was still gay when he was in Menudo 25 years ago. Note that the then-manager of that group was later accused by several group members of having sex with them, which adds yet another gay spin to the story.

[Tanuki Racoon]

Ricky Martin announcing he is gay is as surprising as news the pope is catholic.