Ricky Martin finally admits, 'I am gay'

The ‘Livin' La Vida Loca’ singer made this confession on his official web site and on his Twitter page.

Martin’s sexuality no more a secret
Martin kept his sexuality a secret for years despite frequent rumors that he was indeed gay.

The 38-year-old Latino pop star is no longer denying the rumors and has finally kicked down the closet door with a confession that he's gay.

In a blog posting written in both Spanish and English on his website, the Puerto Rican star declared: “I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am.”

What led Martin to reveal the truth?
Martin explained that writing his memoir and thinking about his year-and-a-half-old twin sons, whom he fathered through a surrogate mother in 2008, led him to go public about his sexuality.

"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 singer wrote, according to the Washington Post.

Martin, who was widely speculated to be gay during the height of his fame, said he never directly addressed the issue because people around him encouraged him to stay quiet about his homosexuality because it would possibly destroy his career and 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 continued. "Writing this account of my life, I got very close to my truth. And this is something worth celebrating."

Why the star kept his homosexuality hidden?
Martin, who was widely speculated to be gay during the height of his fame, said he never directly addressed the issue because people around him encouraged him to stay quiet about his homosexuality because it would possibly destroy his career and his life.

"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," he said in his statement. "Allowing myself to be seduced by fear and insecurity became a self-fulfilling prophecy of sabotage.”

But the singer now realizes that he had to be free with himself, and not keep any more secrets, according to the Post.

“Today I take full responsibility for my decisions and my actions," he 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."

GLAAD responds to Martin’s revelation
Martin’s revelation is welcomed by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), a U.S. gay anti-defamation group dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.

Commenting on Martin’s revelation, GLAAD president Jarrett Barrios said, “When someone like Ricky Martin comes out, hundreds of millions of people now have a cultural connection with an artist, a celebrity and, perhaps most importantly, a father who happens to be gay.

“His decision to model this kind of openness and honesty can lead to a greater acceptance for countless gay people in the U.S., in Latin America and worldwide.”