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Gay news: 'What will happen from now on? It doesn't matter'
Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin has come out as a gay man
Latin American superstar Ricky Martin has silenced years of speculation about his sexuality by declaring himself "a fortunate homosexual man".
The 38-year-old Puerto Rico-born singer, who has previously dodged questions about his sexuality, said on his website yesterday that the birth of his sons and writing his memoirs had made up his mind.
Writing in English and Spanish, he said: "To keep living as I did up until today would be to indirectly diminish the glow that my kids where (sic) born with."
Referring to the potential damage the revelation could cause to his career, Martin, who has sold more than 60 million albums worldwide, said:
"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."
The father of twin sons born to a surrogate mother in 2008, Martin added that writing his memoirs had freed him from things that "were too heavy for me to keep inside ... 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."
He concluded: "I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am."
