Singer and gay rights advocate Ricky Martin reacted with indignation after the Puerto Rican Supreme Court issued a ruling denying same-sex couples the right to adopt children.
Martin, who is father of twins Matteo and Valentino, conceived through a surrogate mother, and who in 2010 revealed publicly he was gay, went to his Twitter account to express his disappointment.
“How sad," the star wrote. "This is like giving the back to children. So many orphans wanting to have the warmth of a home."
Q tristeza. Esto yo lo veo como darle la espalda a la niñez. Tantos huérfanos queriendo tener el calor de 1hogar bit.ly/ZgW5xa
— Ricky Martin (@ricky_martin) February 20, 2013
Same-sex couples have been struggling for years in Puerto Rico so they can enjoy the same right to adopt as any other heterosexual person. The most recent incident that sparked controversy about the subject was the case of a woman who wasn’t allow to adopt the daughter she had with her female partner through in vitro fertilization.
On Monday, thousands of Christian supporters gathered under the name "Puerto Rico Stands Up" in the capital city of San Juan to protest against gay rights and in favor of "traditional" family values.
Puerto Rico’s legislature is currently reviewing a new amendment to Law 54, which would protect all couples, regardless of marital status or sexual orientation, from domestic violence. Members of Puerto Rico's House of Representatives are also working on a bill that would prohibit discrimination due to sexual orientation in the work place.