Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin defends gay rights

Managua: Ricky Martin defended gay rights in Managua, slammed child slavery and pornography, and promised that his only concert in Nicaragua will be a "great fiesta".

"Okay, I`m a gay man and I want my rights," he said in response to a question at a news conference in the Nicaraguan capital. "There are two or three people right now that are uncomfortable with the way I am, but I have no control over their emotions," he said. The singer is in Managua as part of his "Musica + Alma + Sexo" (Music + Soul + Sex) world tour. In Honduras, where he will perform next Sunday, evangelical Protestants have opposed the show out of concern for "the message and example" it could send. "I just have to live my life in peace and keep moving on," Martin said, adding that he has visited 70 cities on his world tour. Martin, 39, lives with his twin sons, Valentino and Matteo, conceived by means of the artificial insemination of a surrogate mother, and with his male partner. The singer called on fans to set themselves "goals to achieve" and said that he has spent more than eight years combating human trafficking and child pornography through the Ricky Martin Foundation. IANS