Pop star Ricky Martin says he's
counting on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest gay
rights advocate, to make the U.S. more welcoming for families like
his.
Martin, who came out gay in March and
is the father of twin boys Valentino and Matteo, welcomed guests as
they arrived at the group's 14th annual National Dinner at
the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in D.C. on Saturday.
“This is very simple. It took me a
while but tonight I'm here and I want to say that I want to add my
voice to yours. And I'm so happy to be part of this community,” a
clearly elated Martin told the crowd.
“So as the father of two beautiful
little boys, Valentino and Matteo, I'm counting on HRC to make this
country a more welcoming place for families like mine. And more
importantly for those LGBT families that struggle everyday to just
get by.” (The video is embedded in the right panel of this page.)
In addressing the crowd, Grammy-winning
Pink said she doesn't want distinctions between gay and straight
marriages.
The 38-year-old singer is expected to
talk for the first time about coming out gay in his new memoir Me,
set to hit bookstores in both English and Spanish on November 2.