Pride Month is coming to an end and as LGBTQ+ people around the country celebrate their community, there are still examples of how much work is left to be done. Ricky Martin was interviewed by People en Español as part of their “Los 50 Más Bellos” series. The interview touches on several topics in his career from music to acting but he made time to talk about being a major LGBTQ+ Latine entertainer.
As a major artist, Martin has amassed a large following on social media. Yet, despite being openly gay, he finds that when he shares thoughts that are pro-LGBTQ+ there are people on his page who share negative comments and quickly unfollow him.
“How after so many years is there still so much hate towards our [LGBTQ+] community,” Martin asks in the interview with People en Español. “I still get negative comments or lose thousands of followers in an instant. Losing followers is the least I care about, of course, what I read and perceive, it’s very strong. That’s why I fight for the day to come when there is no need to say anything else, just exist and feel proud of who we are.”
Martin has been unapologetic in embracing his LGBTQ+ identity since he came out in 2010. His decision to come out was spurred by the birth of his twins, Matteo and Valentino. Martin’s twin sons were born in 2008 and after two years Martin knew it was important for him to come out to show his sons the importance of honesty.
“If I am not honest with my kids, what am I teaching them? I’m teaching them to lie,” Ricky Martin told CBS News in 2017.
With that idea, he came out to the world and has since lived as an unapologetic openly gay man.