Ricky Martin to receive gay honour next month
By ANIFriday, February 11, 2011
LONDON - Puerto Rican Pop singer Ricky Martin, who came out as gay last year, will be honoured with an award from a leading US gay and lesbian organisation in New York next month.
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (Glaad) gives the Vito Russo Award to openly gay entertainers who promote equal rights.
“Ricky coming out was a game changer for many gay and transgender Latino children,” the BBC quoted Glaad as saying.
“For too long, [they] did not have many out gay people to look up to,” it said.
Tony Award and Emmy Award-winning actress Kristin Chenoweth will also be honoured after criticizing a Newsweek article that said gay actors could not convincingly play straight roles.
“When allies like Kristin take such powerful stands against anti-gay sentiments in the media, it sends an important message of equality,” Glaad president Jarrett Barrios said. (ANI)
