I would imagine I am going to be one of thousands of blogs who will be featuring Ricky Martin today. Some will be kind and celebratory, while others will be smug and unkind. Count me among the celebrating bloggers who are happy to welcome Ricky to the club, and grateful he felt confident enough in his own life to make the announcement now. I am going to run a few excepts from the personal statement found on his website. He started out talking about writing his memoirs, and needing to get to the truth of his life. Then it got disappointing, for the advice he was being given.
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.
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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.
RM
That, my friends, was a well-thought and written coming out. It let the reader in on some of the pressures, and why he made the decision. I remember being there, and how frightened and alone I was. I was in college, surrounded by people, and still isolated. Of course I knew I was gay before I came out, but figuring how to do it was tough. And I didn't have packs of photographers following me everywhere. The honesty in his message, that is a beautiful and sexy thing. The smug and mean reaction by many when the news broke? Not pretty nor hot in the slightest. That said, welcome to the LGBT community, Ricky, and get used to it. We still seem to have a hard time sticking together and supporting one another. As loath as I am to admit it, as a group we tend to be reenacting Mart Crowley's Boys In The Band far more often than we are Craig Lucas' Longtime Companion. After seeing the disrespect of this and the coming out of Sean Hayes, I have to wonder why anyone would want to come out.
So here are some music videos done by the incomparable Ricky Martin. Indeed, I am a longtime fan, and it is just another reason to post some more videos. Enjoy.
Maria from 1995
Nobody Wants To Be Lonely from 2001
Jaleo from 2003
You're right...lots of blogging about Ricky today! Mine is just a LITTLE sarcastic, but I think I was nice over all. He is such a sexy thing! OMG, the first time I saw him dance and sing I think was some award show and Madonna introduced him and Ron and I looked at each other with raised eyebrows (and raised other things LOL!)...I was so happy I was taping it, because I can't tell you how many times I watched it over and over again! I wish I could remember which song it was though! I don't think it was a hit.
ReplyDeleteI am so looking forward to Ricky's future music! I hope he won't fade into oblivion now! I never bought his music, but I would now and I certainly would go see him in concert! Hell yeah!
Howard GREAT GREAT BLOG POST!! You out did yourself today...BRAVO!!
While i want every single gay man and woman on the planet to come out, we should not be forced out. We all need to do it at our own pace, and our own time, when we feel it's right in our lives.
ReplyDeleteGood for Ricky.
We still seem to have a hard time sticking together and supporting one another.
ReplyDeleteThat isn't something unique to GLBT folks... most marginalized groups have the same problem. I am not surprised that he is and even if it is after his highest point as a star, I still think it is important for his fans and other people who admire him and are struggling with coming out.
I so wanted to be witty and funny here, your post is great and I wanted to bask in your glory with something interesting and funny and witty. But, I can't think if anything.
ReplyDeleteIt's taking a long time for him to be able to say who he really is, but that's life for some people I guess.
Whole new meaning to the song, she bangs, she bangs, just obviously not with out boy wonder there!
John, I love his music, too, and look forward to more. I think that was the first time I notice and drooled, the Grammy Awards, singing The Cup of Life, with big production values and lots of hip action! Try this link:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqUVvEGHJCo
Bob, I so agree.
Big Mark, true, others do the same, but since so many of us were bullied when young, I'd like to think we could be nicer to one another.
Jason, LOL