Friday, April 23, 2010

I am proud to be gay, says pop star

Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin has revealed that he is a homosexual and feels "blessed" to be himself.

"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," the singer wrote in a statement posted on his website Monday.

The pop star announced that he will write his memoirs, a project which will bring him "closer to an amazing turning point" in his 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," he said.

He also admitted that he could not reveal his homosexuality over the years because he was told by his friends and associates that "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," Martin said. "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 singer, philanthropist and activist said.

In 2008, Ricky Martin became the father of twins with the helo of a surrogate mother.

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