NOTE: This is a personal post. It's not about my veganism or politics. It's about a superstar coming out. And my reaction to his coming out. If you are drawn to read only my posts about veganism, please check the next blog post.
I realize that to most of you this is not news. Ricky Martin publicly came out last year, and for many of his fans (like me) it was not a surprise.
I remember the night like it was yesterday. The Pepsi Center in Denver, November of 1999, great seats that I paid a fortune for, and Ricky Martin.
About half way through the concert all of the lights went out. A single beam of light from above the stage was directed at a single seat in the middle of the stage. Out walks Ricky, in a white t-shirt, jeans, no shoes, with his guitar. For the next 15 minutes he belted out an acoustic version of "Vuelve" and I was awestruck.
I have been a fan of Ricky since his days in Menudo. I got into Menudo while living in Colombia my junior year of high school. I realize it was never popular to say that one likes Menudo, and I don't think I ever have until now. Of course now I don't care what others think about me (unless I'm being a dick).
I will never forget the night I saw Ricky Martin sing "Vuelve" (by the way, one of my all-time favorite songs).
When Ricky came out, and wrote a book about his life and being gay, I wasn't surprised. I was excited. What surprised me was the huge judgment that came from many in the white, gay, male community about his coming out and the fact that it took so long. Some of the hateful notes I read on gay blogs and gay news sites turned my stomach.
I was sad and embarrassed. How can so many gay people be so judgmental.
I was naive. Everybody has an opinion. And many have no problem standing in judgment of others.
I love Ricky. He came out at the perfect time for him and his family. And his concert ticket sales are better than ever.
Thanks for reading. I love all of our readers, just as you are!
Lovely.
ReplyDeleteDan, I couldn't agree more. It's unfair to judge someone for what is a highly personal decision. I remember when I lived in NYC in the early 90's there was a very aggressive campaign underway to pressure celebrities to come out. I was horrified. Jodi Foster in particular was villified for not holding a press conference and admitting she was gay. While I can understand the frustration some feel about well known personalities who choose not to be open about their orientation, I never felt it was fair or decent to launch such a campaign against them. I join you in refusing to cast judgment on Ricky Martin. He's pretty awesome!
ReplyDelete