Ricky Martin reacts to Puerto Rico governor's resignation: 'We did it'
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Ricky Martin was one of many protesters calling for Puerto Rican Governor Ricardo Rosselló to resign after it was exposed that the politico and his aides sent homophobic, misogynistic and sexist messages in a group chat. When Rosselló announced he was stepping down, Martin celebrated the news.
In a post that started with “We did it,” the openly gay singer — who was targeted in the chat messages — praised protesters for not resorting to extreme violence amid the uprising. He said they “did it in peace” with “no guns, like Gandhi.”
Martin, who came out in 2010, said that they “demanded respect and we were heard. Respect for our children, respect for our women, respect for the LGBT community, respect for our dead. This will never happen again. We won’t let anyone walk all over us again. We will be attentive, vigilant.”
He called for Puerto Rico to work together moving forward, saying the protests only worked because they were “united” in the cause. He asked his fellow people to keep their “eyes wide open from now on.”
“I now feel very calm as I celebrate,” Martin wrote. “It’s been a roller coaster of emotions. From anger to joy (I’ve cried like crazy). This has been a birth.
We now can achieve anything we want. We are an example. No more corruption, no more trash. WE’VE RESCUED OUR ISLAND.”
Lin-Manuel Miranda also celebrated the news.
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) July 25, 2019
Rosselló, a Democrat who has held the office since 2017, was the administrator of the group chat on the Telegram messaging app with about a dozen advisors, aides and lobbyists. In addition to discussing business, they made obscenity-laced comments about political rivals and the people of Puerto Rico, including victims of Hurricane Maria, the 2017 storm that devastated the island and led to thousands of deaths. There were also nasty comments about women.
Among the nearly 900 pages of messages, published by the Center for Investigative Journalism in Puerto Rico, included homophobic comments about Martin by Puerto Rico’s former chief financial officer Christian Sobrino Vega.
“Nothing says patriarchal oppression like Ricky Martin,” he reportedly wrote. “Ricky Martin is such a male chauvinist that he f***s men because women don’t measure up. Pure patriarchy.”
Rosselló announced Wednesday that he is resigning effective Aug. 2. Justice Secretary Wanda Vazquez will become the new governor.
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