As you probably heard, the Boy Scouts of America recently upheld a longstanding ban on letting openly gay people join or volunteer. They claim to have done a two year internal evaluation on their policy of discrimination, but I seriously doubt it. This sends a message to kids that gay people, including gay kids, are different and not good enough to be involved in Boys Scouts or mentor youth, and that’s disgraceful. It turns out that a lot of people agree with me, particularly some high profile celebrities who are using their platform to speak out against The Boy Scouts. (Just as Steven Spielberg did back in 2001 when he resigned from their board for this reason. It’s 11 years later and it seems nothing has changed for them.) Here’s the story, thanks to Radar Online.

The Boy Scouts Of America cemented its controversial policy on Tuesday of not allowing open gays to become troop members, and RadarOnline.com can exclusively reveal the public discrimination has caused outrage among both gay rights activists and Hollywood stars.

The organization’s leaders reached the decision after a nearly two-year evaluation and will take no further action on a resolution that has sought a change in policy, it said in a news release, according to CNN.com.

The scouts’ vow of “not granting membership to open or avowed homosexuals” also restricts gays from being scout masters and adds fuel to the fire that was sparked in April after Ohio Cub Scout leader Jennifer Tyrrell was ousted from her son’s pack for being a lesbian.

“Hundreds of thousands of Americans including the corporate leaders of Ernst & Young and AT&T, current Eagle Scouts, and celebrities such as Hunger Games star Josh Hutcherson, Julianne Moore, Dianna Agron and Ricky Martin, have spoken out against the ban on gay scouts and gay scout leaders,” GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) spokesperson Rich Ferraro told RadarOnline.com in an exclusive interview.

“The only people being hurt by this ban is gay young adults who aren’t allowed to participate and children of gay parents whose moms and dads are unable to take part in their life,” he went on to reveal.

“The Boy Scouts of America are forcing parents to explain to their children why some people can’t be a part of their organization and should join the Girl Scouts of the USA, the 4-H Club, the Boys & Girls Club and the United States Military in ending this unfair discrimination.”

The gay community refuses to back down in their fight for equality, and on Wednesday Tyrrell and her 7-year-old son, Cruz, will deliver more than 300,000 signatures and comments from a Change.org petition to the Boy Scouts of America’s national headquarters in Dallas.

Tyrrell hopes Boy Scout leaders will meet with her for the first time and accept the signatures as well as consider reinstating her as den leader so her son can resume scouting, explained Ferraro.

On Sunday, Eric Jones, a 19 year-old Eagle Scout from Missouri who had been with the scouts for nearly 10 years, lost his job as a camp counselor after he came out as gay to his camp director. Jones’ confrontation will be featured in the upcoming documentary Second Class Citizens.

“Until this ban is lifted, the Scouts are putting parents in a situation where they have to explain to their children why some scouts and hard-working scout leaders are being turned away simply because of who they are,” said GLAAD President Herndon Graddick in a statement to Radar. “It’s unfair policies like this that contribute to a climate of bullying in our schools and communities. Since when is that a value worth teaching young adults?”

[From Radar]

I completely agreed with GLAAD. I have a son who will be eight this year. Some of you may disagree with my stance on this, but I’ve told him that we’re not going to get involved with The Boy Scouts until they stop discriminating against gay people. He’s not particularly interested in joining Boy Scouts and has other activities he’s busy with anyway. I have a gay family member and this is something I feel strongly about. I want to pass on those values to my son and I feel that it would be against our family’s basic beliefs if we participated in that organization.

It’s worth noting that some local divisions of The Boy Scouts have defied the parent organization by issuing statements that gay and lesbian people are welcome to join and become scoutmasters. The largest Boy Scout group in Minnesota recently did this, which makes me wonder if they’ll face repercussions from the national organization.

In 2000, the Supreme Court upheld The Boy Scout’s right to discriminate based on sexual orientation. They remain a private organization, and from what I can find they don’t directly receive taxpayer or government money, although of course they use public facilities like schools free of charge.

I’ve been surprised by how much press Ricky Martin has done for his Broadway gig as Che Guevara in the revival of Evita. I covered one of his lengthy interviews (with Details) here, and he’s also appeared on the cover of The Advocate, and now Vanity Fair Spain. Ricky gave VF the big photo exclusive, showing off his toddler twins (Valentino and Matteo) and his partner, Carlos Gonzalez. If you can read and speak Spanish, you can read VF’s excerpts here. Here are some translated highlights:

Ricky on his egg donor: “I did not rent a womb. That expression is used by fundamentalists. They loaned me an abdomen … I would give my life for the woman who helped me bring my sons into this world.”

On past relationships with women: “I’ve slept with women and I’ve fallen in love with them and I’ve felt wonderful things. There was love, passion. I don’t regret anything, any of the relationships I’ve lived, they taught me a lot, both men and women equally.”

On a change with Spain’s same-sex marriage law: “If they touch [the law], now as a Spanish citizen, I would stand up and unite with my community.”

[From Vanity Fair, translation by Just Jared]

Once again, Ricky is discussing how he had sexual and romantic relationships with women as well as men… and I still find it interesting. From what I’ve read, Ricky does self-identify himself as gay at this point, but I think he’s probably more bisexual, right? He falls in love with the soul of a person, regardless of vagina/dong status.

As for the babies… God, they’re so cute!

Photos courtesy of Vanity Fair.

Here are some new photos of Ricky Martin rocking some new facial hair at a Mac Viva Glam event in NYC last night. Nicki Minaj was there too, but I prefer to cover Ricky’s appearance. At first, I thought Ricky’s facial hair was kind of gross (especially that soul patch under his bottom lip), but as I was looking through the photos… he’s giving me an old-school Rudolph Valentino vibe. Or maybe Errol Flynn? He just needs to lose the soul patch. I suspect Ricky’s facial hair is for work, though – previews begin next month on the Broadway revival of Evita. Ricky has been cast as Che Guevara, a role originally played (on Broadway) by Mandy Patinkin. Have you ever heard the original Broadway recording with Mandy and Patti LaPone? It’s a revelation – and it makes you realize what a joke Madonna was in that role. She simply didn’t have the voice for it. Anyway, I like the idea of Ricky as Che. You can read more about the revival here.

In additional Ricky news, he has a new interview in Details Mag – you can read the full thing here. Here are some highlights:

What Ricky would do for love: “I canceled a show once to be with someone that I loved. I had one day. I thought, “You live in another country. I live in another country. This is incredible and I feel amazing.” My manager came up with some excuse. It was the most expensive date I’ve ever been on. But hey, that was a very beautiful day.”

Coming out later in life: “You know, when I hear about a boy or girl that comes out when they’re 15, I’m like, “You’re so lucky! Kudos.” I will give you a standing ovation. But there’s nothing you can do about it. You have to go through yesterday to be who you are today.”

Feeling “blessed to be who I am.”: “Well, I don’t know who your God is, but my God doesn’t make mistakes.”

Ricky sang at George W. Bush’s inauguration in 2001, but later at a concert flipped the bird while singing about him: “They gave me the opportunity to represent the Latin community in the inauguration. It was beyond politics. The next day I was in 85 newspapers around the world—front page. A lot of people said, “Would you take a picture with him again?” I said, “Well, he has to do a lot about human trafficking in order for that to happen.” Now I’d say he has to do a lot about human trafficking and the LGBT community.”

Ricky on marriage equality: “I don’t want to blame the government. I think there’s a stolen faith—an interpretation of what God “says.” That’s your God—I have my God. It’s about civil rights. I’m not telling you what to believe. I wish people understood that love manifests in different ways. Allow me to have my life and I won’t mess with yours. That’s when I struggle and get angry and punch the table. And then I talk. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.””

The rumor that he’s renting a $32,000-a-month apartment: “Well, I don’t need anything to live, to be honest. Give me a mattress or a futon on the floor and I’ll be the happiest camper. But then all of a sudden, from one futon I need five bedrooms. There’s me. My kids have a room. The nanny has a room. I’m very lucky to say that my mom, she’s traveling with me and she’s helping me to raise my kids. And then the kids start going to school next week.”

Getting his kids into pre-K in Manhattan: “You have no idea. A lot of people told me about this, and I didn’t know until I actually embarked on the mission. There are documentaries on this. I had to write an essay about my kids. This is pre-K. This is not college. But I understand that’s how it goes. I sat in front of my computer and I opened my heart. Apparently we’re in.”

[From Details]

There’s a lot more in that interview, Ricky talks about his partner of four years and his workouts and stuff. He even talks about Menudo! Oh, well. I wish I could see him play Che! I bet he’ll be really great in that role.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Ricky Martin has a new interview in Parade Magazine, and it’s kind of inspiring how happy and enthusiastic he is at this stage in his life. Martin, 39, became the father to twin boys born via surrogate in August, 2008. He introduced his twins to the world when they were four months old, and admitted at the time that he was raising them alone without the help of even a nanny. Then in March of last year, Ricky came out of the closet as gay to the surprise of just about no one. He subsequently put out a memoir and is about to release a new album and embark on a world tour. Ricky tells Parade that he “can’t wait” to be back on stage and he also gushes about his kids, saying he knows it’s a cliche to be such a proud dad but he can’t help it!

The best thing about Ricky.
“My children. I can’t deny that. A lot of people say, ‘Wow, you’re a single father of twin boys, that’s crazy!’ Two toddlers can get hectic, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. Every day they teach me different things. The love is there. When you have a two-year-old saying every other hour, ‘Papi, te amo. Papi, I love you,’ it can’t get better.”

What fatherhood has taught him.
“Heavy lessons about simplicity and unconditional love. I don’t want to sound cliche, another father talking about unconditional love, but man, that’s the way it is. You hear it all the time, but when you feel this other branch of love getting stronger and stronger every day, it’s just amazing.”

His kids are budding musicians.
“It’s incredible. And it’s not that I’m forcing it on them. The other day I took them to a toy store and they went straight to this tiny piano. And I’m like, ‘Look at the robot!’ But no, it was the piano. Both of them. So it’s very beautiful.”

On being a voice in the gay community.
“There’s no pressure from anybody. It’s something I feel really good about doing. I have been an activist for human rights for many years. Today, I’m in touch with who I am and I have the opportunity to be in front of a camera and talk to millions of people. After I wrote the book and went on Oprah Winfrey, so many people have come to me, telling me, ‘Ricky, thank you because I understand what acceptance is today.’ ‘Ricky, thank you. I feel better about myself because you have a very beautiful family and the words ‘dysfunctional family’ don’t exist in your life.’”

His message has impacted a new generation.
“The other day, I was in a store and there was this 13-year-old child who he told me, ‘Ricky, you and me, we are the same! You like boys. Well, you know what? Me too! And this is my mom and she’s happy with me today.’ Are you kidding me? I had to give him a hug and I had to give his mother a hug because unfortunately — because of society or faith — parents struggle. It’s all about love.”

[From Parade]

What a happy, grounded guy Ricky is. I love that story about how the gay teen came up to him and Ricky gave him and his mom a hug! Ricky is slated to star on Broadway in 2012 as Che Guevara in Evita. He may not have had help with his kids when they were born, but I hope he’s got a nanny now. With that busy work schedule, he’s going to need one.

Here’s Ricky at a Bulgari event on 1/13/11. He’s a candidate for HGF for sure. Credit: Fame

Later today, Ricky Martin is the special guest on Oprah. It was a pre-taped interview, so clips from the show are already going around. Not so shockingly, Ricky is talking mainly about coming out of the closet and becoming a father. I think he’s probably also promoting his new book – a memoir called Me (I would have added an exclamation point: ME! By Ricky Martin). Some excerpts have already come out (here at Towleroad), and it seems like a lot of the book is about the same – bein’ gay and raisin’ babies. Did you know that Ricky is a single parent? For some reason, I thought that he had a long-time lover/partner who was co-parenting with him, but not so much:

In an interview airing Tuesday on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Ricky Martin opens up about his decision to come out.

“I couldn’t take it anymore, Oprah,” he says of being in the closet. “I couldn’t take it anymore. It was too painful. But I guess the most important thing is my children. You know, my children. When I was holding them in my arms, I was like, what am I gonna teach them – how to lie? Whoa, that is my blessing right there. And I said hold on a second. Before I decided to become a father, I already accepted who I was and I was happy with who I was. Then, when I was I was holding my children, I said, okay, it’s time to tell the world.”

The 38-year-old Martin — father to 2-year-old twin sons, Valentino and Matteo, via a surrogate — announced the news in an email last March. It read, “I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man.”

Asked how he felt when he hit the “send” button, Martin tells Winfrey, “I felt numb. Numb.”

Though he was scared, he says he also felt “relieved. But when I realized, okay, I just pressed send, whoo. And then I was alone. I was in my studio alone for a minute. My assistant walked in and I just started crying like a little baby. I started crying. And he [had to] hold me. He told me, please, he would grab me in the arms — in my arms. He goes, let it go. Let it go. Finally you’re free.”

Fatherhood has changed everything, he says. When he brought the babies home, Martin says he became “obsessed” with trying to do everything himself. That lasted “seven weeks …” he says. “Seven weeks [of] not sleeping. Seven weeks. And then I was alone. Two against one. It was, like, wait, wait.”

He says he feels “incredible” respect for his own mother and mothers of the world.

“It’s not easy,” Martin says of parenthood. “And apparently it gets harder.”

[From Us Weekly]

Ricky sounds really sweet here, and I think it will probably be a very good, weepy interview. Ricky wants to talk, he’s promoting his book, and he hasn’t given a big interview in America in a long time. It should be good television. I wonder if Oprah will really get into it about Ricky’s relationships? You know how much I love the homoerotic stories. I hope Ricky brings photos of his hot exes, but he probably won’t. So in my mind, I’ll have to go to the old stand-by: Daniel Craig. Think about Daniel and Ricky together… oh, yeah. That’s good stuff.

Photos courtesy of WENN. ‘Me’ book cover courtesy of Towleroad.

Shocking absolutely zero people, Ricky Martin has come out of the closet. Finally! I’ve known he was gay ever since he gasped when he met Madonna live at the Grammys back in 1999. I knew he was gay when he tried to come halfway out of the closet by sort-of admitting he was bisexual. Don’t lie, he beeped on everybody’s gaydar. Anyway, Ricky chose not to come out on the cover of The Advocate or in one of the respected gay publications. Ricky didn’t even go the People Magazine route (aka, “pulling a Lance Bass”). Instead, he decided to come out on his website, and he wrote a long explanation for this whole thing too. Drama queen! No, I get it. He wants to explain:

A few months ago I decided to write my memoirs, a project I knew was going to bring me closer to an amazing turning point in my 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. Writing this account of my life, I got very close to my truth. And thisis something worth celebrating.

For many years, there has been only one place where I am in touch with my emotions fearlessly and that’s the stage. Being on stage fills my soul in many ways, almost completely. It’s my vice. The music, the lights and the roar of the audience are elements that make me feel capable of anything. This rush of adrenaline is incredibly addictive. I don’t ever want to stop feeling these emotions. But it is serenity that brings me to where I’m at right now. An amazing emotional place of comprehension, reflection and enlightenment. At this moment I’m feeling the same freedom I usually feel only on stage, without a doubt, I need to share.

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.

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.” 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. To keep living as I did up until today would be to indirectly diminish the glow that my kids where born with. 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. 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.

[From Ricky Martin’s website]

I love that sentence: “I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man.” It makes me giggle because I keep thinking that somewhere in this world, some dude is coming out of the closet by telling his parents “I am an unfortunate homosexual man.” I also liked that Ricky name checked his “fears”: “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.” When you put it like that, how can we not accept his gayness, right? It’s not like he’s not a terrorist!

Anyway, congratulations to Ricky. Well done! Here’s what I want to know now – does he have a partner/boyfriend? I’m thinking he does, just because you never hear about Ricky going out to gay clubs and hitting on men. I would also bet that the partner/boyfriend is helping Ricky raise those cute little twin boys!

Proud papa Ricky Martin is showing off some new pictures of his adorable twin sons Matteo and Valentino. And not to get all smushy and girly, but they are way too cute. Ricky either has a special kind of love for his sons or is just better at putting it into words, because when he talks about them my heart gets all fluttery. There might have been tears. I’m not saying one way or the other. But his undying affection for them is clear, both in the cute pictures and his interviews.

He used to live the “vida loca,” but life has slowed down considerably for Ricky Martin since welcoming his fraternal twins, Matteo and Valentino, by gestational surrogate last August.

Sharing personal photos of himself enjoying the sun and surf with the boys on his Web site, Martin, 37, says that fatherhood “feels amazing.”

“I’m so happy! Everything they do, from smiling to crying, feels like a blessing,” Martin says of his 1-year-old twins. “This has been the most spiritual moment in my life.”

[From People]

Ricky gave a really touching interview to People when the boys were seven months old (which People excerpted above) in which he talked about the joys of being a father and how different his sons are. He doesn’t have a nanny and takes care of Matteo and Valentino on his own – though admits he has an assistant who takes care of HIM.

PEOPLE: Describe this time in your life
MARTIN: I’m so happy! Everything they do, from smiling to crying, feels like a blessing. Being a father feels amazing. This has been the most spiritual moment in my life.

How hands-on are you as a father?
I don’t have a nanny. I’m doing this on my own because I don’t want to miss a moment. I have a personal assistant who helps me, someone who takes care of me while I’m taking care of them, but I’m the one who changes the diapers, the one that feeds them, the one that bathes them, the one that puts them to sleep. For any parent, the first couple of months tend to get a little bit intense.

Why did you choose to become a parent via surrogate?
Adoption was one option, but it’s complicated and can take a long time. Surrogacy was an intriguing and faster option. I thought, ‘I’m going to jump into this with no fear.’

Tell us about Valetino’s and Matteo’s personalities.
Valentino loves to sleep. I call him ‘Mr. Peace and Love’ because he’s so chill and serene. Matteo is more alert and active. He was up at 3 a.m. the other night and just hanging!

What is your philosophy on raising your sons?
I love to read books to my sons and tell them stories. I play music for them so they develop their own personalities. I want to give them information and raise them with honesty and love, and give them self-esteem and a lot of acceptance.

[From People]

Clearly Ricky wanted to be a father badly and it seems like he’s incredibly appreciative of his blessings. His sons are so cute, and even though they don’t look all that similar to each other, they both still look like Ricky. Here are the adorable pictures from Ricky’s website. Photos are credited to Pablo Alfaro.

Singer Ricky Martin, 37, is quietly raising twin boys born through a surrogate. Little Valetino and Matteo are about ten months old and Ricky told People last year that he loves being a father and caring for his infant sons. He doesn’t have a nanny or help with the twins, and just has a personal assistant so that he can fully devote himself to being a father. Martin sounds like he doesn’t want to miss a moment with his sons and said that “everything they do, from smiling to crying, feels like a blessing.” It’s unknown whether he has a partner of either gender.

When the news came out that Martin was raising children presumably as a single father he received some criticism from a Catholic Cardinal from Honduras who claimed that “You can’t just buy or rent life.” There was also continued speculation over Martin’s orientation, which he didn’t address while introducing his sons last December. His personal life is his own business and if he wants to keep it private you can’t blame him. He sounds like a loving, devoted dad to his sons and that’s all that matters. No one bashes female celebrities for adopting or having children as single parents. It just doesn’t seem fair to target a male for wanting to raise children and acting like his orientation should be any kind of issue.

Martin supposedly sort-of admitted he’s bisexual in a recent Spanish-language interview in a TV magazine from his native Puerto Rico, saying his “heart could belong to a man or a woman”:

Big Announcement For Ricky Martin?: Is Ricky Martin about to live his “La Vida Loca” in a whole new way? According to the latest issue of Puerto Rico’s TV Aqui magazine, as reported by Perez Hilton, the singer told editor Saudy Rivera that “his heart could belong to a woman or a man.” Either direction, we can’t wait to see who ends up shaking his “bon bon” with!

[From NBC Chicago via PopCrunch]

If any of our Spanish-speaking readers could please confirm this statement with a link to the original article we would appreciate it. It’s possible this is a misreported or misinterpreted rumor. If Ricky did say this, good for him for being open and honest about it. Maybe he’s single now and looking for someone to help complete his family.

Ricky Martin is shown on 2/21/09. Credit: WENN.com

Hands-on single father Ricky Martin is said to love fatherhood so much that he’s hoping to adopt a baby girl. Martin has five month old boy twins Matteo and Valentino who were born through a surrogate mother. The 37 year-old singer is reported to be in the process of adopting a daughter from Puerto Rico and has plans to bring her home this summer.

According to a pal, [Ricky Martin is] now planning to adopt a girl from his native Puerto Rico in 2009. “Ricky loves his sons more than anything in the world, but he’s always wanted to have a daughter, too,” his friend explains. “He’s already started the process and hopes to have baby number three by June.”

[From In Touch, print edition, January 12, 2008]

Martin told People Magazine in early December that he doesn’t have a nanny or any help and is enjoying the process of raising the babies on his own. He explained that he does have a personal assistant to help with his own needs, but that he loves taking care of the infants and added “I don’t want to miss a moment.”

Martin has not addressed speculation about his orientation and there has been some mild criticism from conservatives who question his motivation for raising children on his own. Given the way he bragged to People about how great his kids are you can see that he was just thrilled to be a dad. He said “Everything they do, from smiling to crying, feels like a blessing.”

Congratulations to Martin and if this story is true he’ll soon have another little blessing in his house.

Update: People Magazine cover via Popcrunch

Singer Ricky Martin, 36, will reveal his four month old boy twins in the upcoming issue of People, and judging from the small picture on People’s website they’re adorable. Matteo and Valentino Martin were born from a surrogate rumored to be Martin’s cousin. (If this rumor is true she was probably just the gestational carrier and not the twin’s biological mother.) Martin says he is a devoted father and that he has no nanny or nurse to help with the babies. It sounds like he really loves being a dad and wants to be there for his sons:

PEOPLE: Describe this time in your life
MARTIN: I’m so happy! Everything they do, from smiling to crying, feels like a blessing. Being a father feels amazing. This has been the most spiritual moment in my life.

How hands-on are you as a father?
I don’t have a nanny. I’m doing this on my own because I don’t want to miss a moment. I have a personal assistant who helps me, someone who takes care of me while I’m taking care of them, but I’m the one who changes the diapers, the one that feeds them, the one that bathes them, the one that puts them to sleep. For any parent, the first couple of months tend to get a little bit intense.

Why did you choose to become a parent via surrogate?
Adoption was one option, but it’s complicated and can take a long time. Surrogacy was an intriguing and faster option. I thought, ‘I’m going to jump into this with no fear.’

Tell us about Valetino’s and Matteo’s personalities.
Valentino loves to sleep. I call him ‘Mr. Peace and Love’ because he’s so chill and serene. Matteo is more alert and active. He was up at 3 a.m. the other night and just hanging!

What is your philosophy on raising your sons?
I love to read books to my sons and tell them stories. I play music for them so they develop their own personalities. I want to give them information and raise them with honesty and love, and give them self-esteem and a lot of acceptance.

[From People]

Martin is rumored to be gay, but I think if he revealed anything about his orientation to People we would be hearing about it. Good for him for becoming a dad and taking such good care of his sons. He sounds like he’s truly thrilled by the process.

Martin has received some criticism from Catholic leaders and from a Mexican talk show host for choosing to father children without a partner. It hardly seems fair to say that he shouldn’t be a single parent when it’s a perfectly viable option for women. You can tell that he loves his sons and really cherishes them.

In August there was a story that celebrity magazines weren’t interested in photographs of Martin’s newborns because, according to an unnamed editor (Bonnie *cough* *cough*) “We don’t think he is going to tell the backstory, so the whole thing just seems kind of icky.” It sounds atypical that a single young guy would wants to raise two children on his own, but I would hardly call it “icky.” Words like “noble” and “dedicated” are more likely to come to mind.

Ricky Martin is shown on 10/16/08 getting his star on the Walk of Fame. Credit: Bauergriffin