Ricky Martin stands up for equal marriage in Chile
By Will Stroude
Ricky Martin has used his time in Chile as part of his ‘One World Tour’ to take a public stand for marriage equality in the South American nation.
The 44-year-old Puerto Rican, who came out in 2010 and is father to twins sons Valentino and Matteo, met with Chilean LGBT rights group Iguales Foundation in the capital Santiago on Saturday (March 5), Fox News Latino reports.
“I want equal marriage rights for Chile,” Martin said at the meeting, adding that he wanted his sons to grow up in a world where “there are no second-class citizens.”
According to organisers, the meeting was set up “to give the artist an idea about the realities of sexual diversity in Chile, the progress made in legislation and cultural matters, and the challenges still pending, particularly the need for a marriage law with equal rights for all.”
Luis Larrain, executive president of the Iguales Foundation, added: “Ricky Martin is a celebrity of global renown, which allows us to reach a far more massive audience with his message of equality and non-discrimination,”
“We hope his testimony as a gay father helps eliminate the prejudices of those who still have them, and that the government realizes it shouldn’t keep putting off same-sex marriage that includes parenthood,” he said.
Chile introduced limited rights for same-sex couples with the legalisation of civil unions last October – though couples are still denied adoption rights and the title of marriage.
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