I am gay, says Ricky Martin

LOS ANGELES, March 30 — Latin pop star Ricky Martin on Monday announced he was gay in a blog posting, ending years of speculation.

“I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man,” Martin wrote in a blog posting at www.rickymartinmusic.com.

“This is just what I need especially now that I am the father of two beautiful boys that are so full of light and who with their outlook teach me new things every day. To keep living as I did up until today would be to indirectly diminish the glow that my kids were born with,” Martin wrote.

Martin, 38, became a father to twin sons via a surrogate in 2008 and at the time no details were given about the birth or the mother.

The Puerto Rican singer of hits such as “Livin’ la Vida Loca,” has long been the subject of speculation about his sexuality.

In 2000, TV journalist Barbara Walters grilled him about whether he was gay, but he refused to disclose it.

In his posting on Monday, Martin said a few months ago he had decided to write a memoir and doing so brought him closer to what he called “an amazing turning point in my life.”

“Writing this account of my life, I got very close to my truth. And this is something worth celebrating,” he wrote.

The singer began his career with boy band Menudo and broke out as a solo artist and teen idol in the 1990s in Spanish-speaking countries.

He released his first, English-language album in 1999, the self-titled “Ricky Martin,” which saw two major hits, “Livin’ la Vida Loca” and “She’s All I Ever Had.” Since then, Martin has been a star in both North America and South America.

Jarrett Barrios, the president of the US-based Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), welcomed what he called Martin’s “openness and honesty.” — Reuters

The English version of his post titled “En los últimos meses me di a la tarea de escribir mis memorias”

A few months ago I decided to write my memoirs, a project I knew was going to bring me closer to an amazing turning point in my life. 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. Things that were too heavy for me to keep inside. Writing this account of my life, I got very close to my truth. And this is something worth celebrating.

For many years, there has been only one place where I am in touch with my emotions fearlessly and that's the stage. Being on stage fills my soul in many ways, almost completely. It's my vice. The music, the lights and the roar of the audience are elements that make me feel capable of anything. This rush of adrenaline is incredibly addictive. I don't ever want to stop feeling these emotions. But it is serenity that brings me to where I'm at right now. An amazing emotional place of comprehension, reflection and enlightenment. At this moment I'm feeling the same freedom I usually feel only on stage, without a doubt, I need to share.

Many people told me: "Ricky it's not important", "it's not worth it", "all the years you've worked and everything you've built will collapse", "many people in the world are not ready to accept your truth, your reality, your nature". Because all this advice came from people who I love dearly, I decided to move on with my life not sharing with the world my entire truth. Allowing myself to be seduced by fear and insecurity became a self-fulfilling prophecy of sabotage. Today I take full responsibility for my decisions and my actions.

If someone asked me today, "Ricky, what are you afraid of?" I would answer "the blood that runs through the streets of countries at war...child slavery, terrorism...the cynicism of some people in positions of power, the misinterpretation of faith." But fear of my truth? Not at all! On the contrary, It fills me with strength and courage. This is just what I need especially now that I am the father of two beautiful boys that are so full of light and who with their outlook teach me new things every day. To keep living as I did up until today would be to indirectly diminish the glow that my kids where born with. Enough is enough. This has to change. This was not supposed to happen 5 or 10 years ago, it is supposed to happen now. Today is my day, this is my time, and this is my moment.

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.

What will happen from now on? It doesn't matter. I can only focus on what's happening to me in this moment. The word "happiness" takes on a new meaning for me as of today. It has been a very intense process. Every word that I write in this letter is born out of love, acceptance, detachment and real contentment. Writing this is a solid step towards my inner peace and vital part of my evolution.

I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am.