The Associated Press reports on the impact of Ricky Martin's coming out among Latino gays. The announcement was so significant, it's been described as "almost like an earthquake."
"The example of Ricky Martin as citizen of the world, humanitarian, father, intelligent person, is a good example for those who have obvious stereotypes and also for those who don't have prejudice but have ideas that may act as barriers in the lives of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT)," said Jarrett Barrios, president of GLAAD (The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation). "Ideas like 'a gay man is good to water my flowers at home but not for business' limit the opportunities for the LGBT community."
Pedro Julio Serrano, communications manager of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, says that "when Ricky made the announcement the tectonic plates moved, it was almost like an earthquake. ... It was one of the most important news in the fight for equality that the Latino LGBT community leads. It touches the hearts and opens the minds of many people," said Serrano, who became a friend of the artist after his announcement. ...
"If in Puerto Rico people used to love him, now they love him even more," said Serrano, who recounted that during Martin's first public appearance post-announcement, in April at the Latin Billboard Awards, the singer not only received a standing ovation in the theater but a multitudinous cheer from the people on the streets. "That says a lot about the welcoming and I think demonstrates the reality of our society," he said. "Even though we still have to fight a lot of homophobia, there is much more acceptance today."
And this very touching personal story:
Ricardo Torres, a Mexican man who was raised in Texas and lives in Chicago, was in the audience when Oprah Winfrey interviewed Martin last year. He thanked Martin, saying that his revelation was good for his own relationship with his mother. "For the first time my mother asked me personal questions. For almost 20 years she has known that I am gay but she never asked anything ... she told me not to tell anyone else in my family. It was a secret ... a big taboo," Torres, 38, told the AP. "Everything changed after Ricky came out of the closet," he added. "Like someone in our family came out and by doing so gave us the right to live more openly."
Blabbeando's Andrés Duque reports on the pop star's recent press junket with Latino media for Música + Alma + Sexo, his first album since 2005. Martin told Leila Cobo of Billboard that coming out on Twitter in March 2010 took "months" of deliberation.
"I spent many months figuring out the best way to do it. I thought it could be a song, or an interview, or in the book," he says, "But I couldn't wait eight more months. I needed to do this, now. Several months before I pressed send, there was a hate crime in Puerto Rico against a gay boy. And at the time, if I had spoken out, people would have started conjecturing."
He adds "There are moments of great tension in the book because I was living under great tension. And one Friday, I called my manager and said, I'm doing this on Monday. I spent the entire weekend drafting that letter. And when I sent it, I felt such a relief, such peace and joy. I thought, My God, had I known, I would have done this 10 years ago."
It's beautiful that Ricky has found his own way and decided to live his life more openly. And become an inspiration to many others. Bravo.
Ricky Martin's autobiography Me was a New York Times best-seller and its Spanish edition Yo was the No. 1 biography in the United States. Música + Alma + Sexo dropped last Tuesday and the single "Lo Mejor De Mi Vida Eres Tu" is No. 1 on Billboard Top Latin Songs.
