Another Catholic Scandal: Ricky Martin Confesses to Being a Sodomite

[Dachshund]

Puerto Rican pop singer Ricky Martin has opened up about his sexuality on his website. "I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man," wrote Martin on Monday. "I am very blessed to be who I am."

In the blog post, Martin talks about being a father to two boys, who were born in 2008 via a surrogate. The birth of his children inspired him to come out.

"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,'" wrote Martin. "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."

The "Livin' la Vida Loca" singer's sexuality has been speculated about for years, but he's never directly addressed it.

Martin got his start in the '80s Latin boy band Menudo. His solo career took off in 1999, with the release of his first English-language album.

[Matty the Damned]

Well colour me shocked.

After years of scrutiny about his sexuality, the Latino pop star declared on his official Web site today that he is "a fortunate homosexual man." Martin explained that he decided to make the announcement after musing about his memoirs and his year-and-a-half-old twin sons, whom he fathered through a surrogate mother in 2008.

"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," 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."

(linkage)

MtD

[MOONLIGHT1114]

Ricky can Livin My Vida Loca anytime lol!  I have always adored him!

[Dachshund]

beat you by two minutes doll

[Matty the Damned]

GODDAMMIT! 

Asshatted by a citizen of the Confederacy. Yeah well, my thread title is better. 

Hopefully one of our Goderators will do a tasteful merge.

MtD

[kev72]

Interesting, I was just reading that on CNN. Not that is was a big suprise. He is hot. I grew up listening to all those Menudo boys and loved them lol.

I wonder when Mario Lopez is going to come out....

[Dachshund]

You're gettin' soft, you ol' poof. I'll grant a merge in deference to your title.

[kev72]

LOL - Wow that did get my attention.

[mecch]

don't mean to be cynical. Its aways great when someone affirms his/her true self.
But since he is such a "fortunate homosexual", what took him so damn long. Geezuz. I guess since his career is over and the money's in the bank, there's no benefit to playing coy.

In fact the reverse, He's writing a memoir, so the coming out is a pay off.

http://idolator.com/5460581/ricky-martin-officially-comes-out-as-a-gay-man-but-how-opportunistic-is-the-timing

[Rev. Moon]

I'm lak shocked or something.  How can this be?

[GSOgymrat]

Now if only Richard Simmons would come out.

[Matty the Damned]

Now if only Richard Simmons would come out.

Out of what? Liberace's walk-in wardrobe?

MtD

[mecch]

Remember the brat pack. Before a few of them became major stars the rumor in LA NYC was one of them was gay.  It's always fallen on Tom Cruise but maybe its another.  I guess the only other two who are still big stars are Demi Moore and Matt Dillon. Now if one of them came out, I'd be impressed!  If its Andrew McCarthy, who gives a rat's ass.

[Hellraiser]

Remember the brat pack. Before a few of them became major stars the rumor in LA NYC was one of them was gay.  It's always fallen on Tom Cruise but maybe its another.  I guess the only other two who are still big stars are Demi Moore and Matt Dillon. Now if one of them came out, I'd be impressed!  If its Andrew McCarthy, who gives a rat's ass.

Tom Cruise wasn't really a part of the brat pack was he?

[Matty the Damned]

Remember the brat pack. Before a few of them became major stars the rumor in LA NYC was one of them was gay.  It's always fallen on Tom Cruise but maybe its another.  I guess the only other two who are still big stars are Demi Moore and Matt Dillon. Now if one of them came out, I'd be impressed!  If its Andrew McCarthy, who gives a rat's ass.

It's Cruise.

MtD

[Ann]

Now if only Richard Simmons would come out.

Goodness no, that man is scary.  He can stay lurking with last season's shoes, thankyouverymuch.

Out of what? Liberace's walk-in wardrobe?

Maybe he's hiding under the lid of the grand piano?

[Hellraiser]

I agree with Ann on this one the heteros can keep Richard Simmons, and I'd like to exchange Bruce Villanch for Chris Evans.  It seems like an equitable trade to me.

[Rev. Moon]

Tom Cruise wasn't really a part of the brat pack was he?

You're "technically" right.

Appearance in one, or both, of the ensemble casts of John Hughes' The Breakfast Club and Joel Schumacher's St. Elmo's Fire is often cited as a prerequisite for being a core Brat Pack member. With this criterion, the most commonly cited members include Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy.

But some think Cruise was one of them as :

... [A] New York magazine article covered a group of actors much greater than the currently understood meaning of the term "Brat Pack". For example, most of the cast of The Outsiders were mentioned, including Tom Cruise, C. Thomas Howell, Ralph Macchio, and Patrick Swayze, but none of whom starred in any other 1980s movies with any "core" Brat Packers.

[Matty the Damned]

I think all we need to know about Tommy C is summed up by the old slogan:

Scientology: Providing Wives for Gay Actors Since 1952.

MtD

[Rev. Moon]

I think all we need to know about Tommy C is summed up by the old slogan:

Scientology: Providing Wives for Gay Actors Since 1952.

MtD

You're breaking my heart.  I thought his love for the ultra-bland K. Holmes was teh Real Thang.

[Ann]

I agree with Ann on this one the heteros can keep Richard Simmons,

ew, I don't want him! Let's give him away to a nunnery.

Whew, just remembered I'm bi so I don't have to have him anyway.

[OneTampa]

What!!!??? Ricky Martin......GAY???!!

Why, kiss my in-box!!  Don't that beat all!!??? :0

[komnaes]

Scandal?!

I thought the operative assumption was that if you're a Latino male you'd have to be AT LEAST bisexual..

[GSOgymrat]

I wonder when Mario Lopez is going to come out....

I wonder when Anderson Cooper is going to come out.

[mecch]

Since Anderson is a class act in a classy profession, it seems like no one dares ask him to his face.  Plus he seems nice and everyone who needs to know, knows.  Maybe he has it in writing from any non news appearance he makes that they can not joke or ask about him being gay. I think particularly of Kathy Griffin, who has kept away from that point.  
Anderson makes NO attempt to smokescreen. The game is: I am a journalist and my private life isnt the worlds affair and may interfere with my job, and that seems to work.
By the stories I read about Ricky, if you believe he is sincere, than it wasn't easy for him to admit to being gay and it weighed heavily on him.  Maybe he felt like he was living a lie, to himself and others as well.

___________
"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," 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," he wrote.
___________

Whos to say. Boilerplate to sell a book and make some cash? Hes got a freaking bf and kids, so he had to be pretty damn comfortable "within" for years, no???

[Dachshund]

Since Anderson is a class act in a classy profession, 

Classy profession? He subs for Regis Philbern for God's sake, and has had no problem "reporting" the most titillating celebrity gossip.

[edfu]

Martin is going to star on Broadway next year in a revival of "Evita," playing the Che Guevara role.

[mecch]

Well he's also a vanderbilt, has an ivy league education, moves with VIPs everyday, has good manners, is respectful and empathetic, does very good field reports around the world, is serious when he needs to be but takes himself lightly on other occassions, and has had no sordid scandals attached to him. I'd say being a news anchor is a pretty classy job and he does it well enough.

[mecch]

Well, Che and Fidel.....  Che was kinda gay.

[Dachshund]

Well he's also a vanderbilt, has an ivy league education, moves with VIPs everyday, has good manners, is respectful and empathetic, does very good field reports around the world, is serious when he needs to be but takes himself lightly on other occassions, and has had no sordid scandals attached to him. I'd say being a news anchor is a pretty classy job and he does it well enough.

Yep, he seems like a nice enough chap (going by his online personality) but could be a total dick in person. He has had all the advantages one would expect being the son of Gloria Vanderbilt. Gee Vanderbilt, wonder if her family had anything to do with the university of the same name? He did do some very good onsite reporting during Katrina, but also spent two weeks on 360 reporting every salacious detail during the Michael Jackson feeding frenzy. He's not a journalist, he's a news personality. I'm sure AC would take exception to being called a news anchor. A news anchor reads whatever the writers put up on the teleprompter. A monkey could do that. A classy monkey.

[Hellraiser]

Well he's also a vanderbilt, has an ivy league education, moves with VIPs everyday, has good manners, is respectful and empathetic, does very good field reports around the world, is serious when he needs to be but takes himself lightly on other occassions, and has had no sordid scandals attached to him. I'd say being a news anchor is a pretty classy job and he does it well enough.

Yeah I don't think any of that makes him any better/worse or "classier" than anyone else.  Rachel Maddow is out and he could be too.

[GSOgymrat]

I think one of the problems with being a public person and saying you are gay is that you open the door to your entire personal life. For example, if I was Anderson Cooper's partner (yeah, that could happen!!) and I didn't want to be in the media Anderson coming out would make me fair game for the general media, not just the tabloids. Straight celebrities often don't talk about their personal life to keep their spouse and children out of the spotlight and I think gay people should be afforded the same courtesy. I think it is great when someone comes out on their own terms but it should be a choice, especially if someone becomes a celebrity by accident, e.g. "Sully" Sullenberger who landed the US Airways jet (no, he's not gay).

[mecch]

He's most definitely a journalist and most definitely an anchor and previously co-anchor. Duh.
And yeah he could come out.
And yeah Rachel Maddow is smarter, and classier, and I watch her first.  

The point of the sidetrack was to comment on the Ricky Martin coming out and others who have or haven't and how we feel about it.

AC:  When asked about his sexuality, he stated "I understand why people might be interested. But I just don’t talk about my personal life. It’s a decision I made a long time ago, before I ever even knew anyone would be interested in my personal life. The whole thing about being a reporter is that you're supposed to be an observer and to be able to adapt with any group you’re in, and I don’t want to do anything that threatens that.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anderson_Cooper

No talk of heavy burdens etc etc as with Ricky Martin.

Arguably Ricky made millions selling a romantic dream to adoring lady fans.  So not coming out at the peak of his fame is similar to Anderson supposedly protecting ability to just blend in to get the story.  

If Ricky was personally tormented about being gay until now, then he gets a pass for it taking so long. Otherwise it would be nice to read: "My managers told me to butch it up and fake straight so we could make the biggest career possible, and now I have other priorities."  That would be honest enough.

Rupert Everett warns entertainers now its unwise to come out, career wise.  

So I guess its six of one, half a dozen of another.  

[Miss Philicia]

I think one of the problems with being a public person and saying you are gay is that you open the door to your entire personal life. For example, if I was Anderson Cooper's partner (yeah, that could happen!!) and I didn't want to be in the media Anderson coming out would make me fair game for the general media, not just the tabloids. Straight celebrities often don't talk about their personal life to keep their spouse and children out of the spotlight and I think gay people should be afforded the same courtesy. I think it is great when someone comes out on their own terms but it should be a choice, especially if someone becomes a celebrity by accident, e.g. "Sully" Sullenberger who landed the US Airways jet (no, he's not gay).

Nice try, but Anderson's partner that he just bought an old firehouse in the Village with (like how gay is that?) is a Big Ole Mary that owns a well known gay bar in NYC.  In fact, one of his co-owners is someone I used to go clubbing with back in the early 90's (cue gratuitous name dropping, with no name).

Fact is, Anderson probably thinks he's out even if he's not really.

[Dachshund]

He's most definitely a journalist.  

I guess you could provide us with some examples of AC's journalism? Something that he's written. Not something others have researched and written for him. Like I said any monkey or parrot can be a news anchor. You do need a little panache to be a news personality.

[GSOgymrat]

Nice try, but Anderson's partner that he just bought an old firehouse in the Village with (like how gay is that?) is a Big Ole Mary that owns a well known gay bar in NYC.  In fact, one of his co-owners is someone I used to go clubbing with back in the early 90's (cue gratuitous name dropping, with no name).

Fact is, Anderson probably thinks he's out even if he's not really.

I swear, HOW do you know this stuff? Forget the book, you need your own show on cable.

[Cliff]

Well he's also a vanderbilt,

I thought saying someone was a Vanderbilt (and it's actually suppose to mean something) went out of style in the 1960s....unless you're talking about Vanderbilt jeans; and even then that went out of style in the late 80s.

Anyhow, I find it odd that he was more comfortable with announcing his fondness of golden showers (which was a surprise) before telling the world that he has fondness for men (which is about as well kept of a secret as Israel's possession of nuclear arms).

[Miss Philicia]

I swear, HOW do you know this stuff? Forget the book, you need your own show on cable.

I read Gawker!  



http://gawker.com/5392965/what-we-know-so-far-about-anderson-coopers-boyfriend

full gallery here: http://gawker.com/5393780/all-the-internets-pictures-of-anderson-coopers-boyfriend/gallery/

[GSOgymrat]

Go Anderson!

[mecch]

Who likes golden showers - AC or RM? "Announced"?  link please

[Miss Philicia]

Classy or trashy?  We report; you decide!

[mecch]

Are you all faux naive or what?
Of course being born an "american blue blood" is relative.
The Vanderbilts were parvenu among old New York society.  Mrs. Astor refused to acknowledge them. So they spent and spent and spent until they had gorgeous palaces and impeccable parties and finally she broke down. This was before the turn of the century!

Being a Vanderbilt still matters but being born to an "old" rich family certainly doesnt make your "classy" though it denotes economic and social class certainly.  Thats why I listed all the behaviours that I consider make him a classy guy.  He could have turned out a cute trust fund nare-do-well.  Being born fortunate and staying nice and open-minded and doing something constructive with your life - that's not classy?

You guys drive hard bargains.

http://www.nytimes.com/ref/national/class/12class-essays.html?_r=1

[Miss Philicia]

nobody cares

[mecch]

People care very much about class in the USA.  Poor people and marginalised people who say they don't believe social class is important or exists, or class is not a roadblock to secure life and health and happiness in the USA, have been brainwashed into good little slaves.  

[Dachshund]

People care very much about class in the USA.  Poor people and marginalised people who say they don't believe social class is important or exists, or class is not a roadblock to secure life and health and happiness in the USA, have been brainwashed into good little slaves.  

Obviously you do Madame Mao by continuing to insist that reading what others write off a teleprompter is somehow classy. Oh by the way Duchess, you're lucky to live in that bastion of a classless society, Europe.

[mecch]

I'd rather have been Evita Peron than Madame Mao if I had to pick a compromised leader.

[Cliff]

Are you all faux naive or what?
Of course being born an "american blue blood" is relative.
The Vanderbilts were parvenu among old New York society.  Mrs. Astor refused to acknowledge them. So they spent and spent and spent until they had gorgeous palaces and impeccable parties and finally she broke down. This was before the turn of the century!

   How odd.

As for the link (re: RM Golden Showers), try Googling it.  Or you could use AltaVista, given your fondness for the good old days!

[mecch]

http://www.popeater.com/2010/03/30/ricky-martin-gay-glaad/

A valentine to RM from GLAAD

[Miss Philicia]

People care very much about class in the USA.  Poor people and marginalised people who say they don't believe social class is important or exists, or class is not a roadblock to secure life and health and happiness in the USA, have been brainwashed into good little slaves. 

Whatever, Mary.  I'm the one here born and raised in the wealthiest (per capita) county in the entire US as stated recently in Forbes.  I don't need lessons on my inner-WASPness from you, regardless of whether or not I'm personally wealthy at the moment.

[Matty the Damned]

People care very much about class in the USA.  Poor people and marginalised people who say they don't believe social class is important or exists, or class is not a roadblock to secure life and health and happiness in the USA, have been brainwashed into good little slaves.  

Tell me, which European nation recently adopted laws forbidding the building of minarets because Islam is a religion of brown people so as not to spoil it's chocolate box vistas?

MtD

[mecch]

Social class is important in every country.  I'm not the one who said "nobody cares".  You guys are pretty damn sour sometimes. 

[Matty the Damned]

Social class is important in every country.  I'm not the one who said "nobody cares".  You guys are pretty damn sour sometimes. 

In that case mebbeh you should lighten up with the smug continental anti-american snarks.

America may have it's faults, but Europe is in no position to criticise.

MtD

[mecch]

where is the anti-american smack?  Half the progressive left makes the same argument - Michael Moore, Obama, etc etc.  Thats the whole point of the health care reform. Its not anti-america to have a class conciousness about what's going down!

Why dont you open up a thread if that topic is so interesting and be happy to debate, rather than hijack here, ok.

And Miss P. Own your own smack downs. Rather than "nobody cares" just say "I don't care" and if you don't care, just dont say anything.  Probably you did care.

[Basquo]

What, Ricky's GAY??!!

I guess the news tomorrow will be that water is wet.

[Rev. Moon]

What, Ricky's GAY??!!

I guess the news tomorrow will be that water is wet.

Thank you for bringing us back to this extremely important topic Mr. C.  The socio-economic digression was slightly tedious.

This has been all over the Spanish news today, with all sorts of stars showing their support for La Ricky.  My my my, how times have changed.

[Matty the Damned]

where is the anti-american smack?  Half the progressive left makes the same argument - Michael Moore, Obama, etc etc.  Thats the whole point of the health care reform. Its not anti-america to have a class conciousness about what's going down!

Why dont you open up a thread if that topic is so interesting and be happy to debate, rather than hijack here, ok.

And Miss P. Own your own smack downs. Rather than "nobody cares" just say "I don't care" and if you don't care, just dont say anything.  Probably you did care.

I opened that discussion long before you buzzed into this hive.

MtD

[Dale Parker]

Ricky gay. That's half my fantasy come true. Now if only I could get him into my bed the other half could cum true.