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Ricky Martin calls for Puerto Rico governor’s resignation over profane messages

Bad Bunny, Lin-Manuel Miranda also denounce Ricardo Rosselló

Published

7 years ago

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Ricky Martin, concert, gay news, Washington Blade
Ricky Martin, concert, gay news, Washington Blade
Ricky Martin. (Photo courtesy Fly-Life Inc.)

Ricky Martin announced he will be joining a protest on Wednesday calling for the resignation of Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló.

889 pages of a group chat from the app Telegram between Rosselló and members of his administration were leaked on Saturday. The messages were filled with profane, homophobic and sexist comments and made references to other political leaders and Puerto Rican celebrities Ricky Martin, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Bad Bunny.

Puerto Rico Chief Financial Office Christian Sobrino said of Martin, “Nothing says patriarchal oppression like Ricky Martin. He is such a male chauvinist that he fu*ks men because women don’t measure up. Pure patriarchy.”

Sobrino has since apologized and resigned.

In another message, Rosselló refers to former New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito as the Spanish word for “whore.” Rosselló apologized for the messages and stated he would be asking members who were involved in the messages to step down.

“Aware that the current environment cannot be maintained, I have communicated to all the other public officials involved in the chat that I will have to dispense with their services and/or their advice,” he said in the statement,” Rosselló said in a statement via the Washington Post. “This is a very painful situation for me, as Governor, as a human being and as a Puerto Rican,” Rosselló said. “But I recognize there is no other way out and there is no worthwhile forgiveness on my part that does not include corrections and clear signs of intent to change.”

Despite the backlash, Rosselló says he will not be resigning.

“I’m the governor of Puerto Rico, but I’m a human being who has his faults,” Rosselló said at a press conference. “I ask for forgiveness.”

Martin implored Rosselló to resign on Twitter.

“Do an act of true generosity, worth and love for Puerto Rico and give your position to another person with the wisdom and leadership to direct your destiny as a people,” Martin tweeted in Spanish. “Precisely because your comments were made in the privacy is shown of what you are made off. It is in the privacy where you live with the truth and integrity that defines us and yours is far from being a vertical and admirable.”

On Tuesday, Martin announced he would be joining the protest on Wednesday writing “See you tomorrow at the march at 5pm in front of the Capitol.”

Singer Bad Bunny, who is currently on tour, will pause his shows to join the protests.

Miranda also called for the governor’s resignation.

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PHOTOS: World Pride March

LGBTQ rights demonstration held in Amsterdam

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1 day ago

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August 9, 2026

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A scene from the 2026 World Pride March in Amsterdam. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The 2026 World Pride March was held on Saturday, Aug. 8 in Amsterdam. Tens of thousands of participants marched from Martin Luther Kingpark to the grounds of the Pride Village at Museumplein.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

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PHOTOS: Daddy Issues at Kiki

Evry Pleasure, Tiara Missou-Sidora, Indiana Bones perform

Published

2 days ago

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August 8, 2026

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Evry Pleasure performs at the 'Daddy Issues' drag show at Kiki on Wednesday. (Washington Blade photo by Landon Shackelford)

The weekly drag show “Daddy Issues” was held at Kiki on Wednesday, Aug. 5. Performers included Evry Pleasure, Indiana Bones and Tiara Missou-Sidora.

(Washington Blade photos by Landon Shackelford)

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Books

Something’s off about Dad. When is it time to step in?

‘When Memory Fades’ can help when families face dementia

Published

2 days ago

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August 8, 2026

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(Book cover image courtesy of St. Martin's Essentials)

‘When Memory Fades’
By Nathaniel Chin, MD
c.2026, St. Martin’s Essentials
$30/422 pages

Mom called you in a panic the other day.

She’d lost her keys and by the time you arrived to help, she’d found them. In the refrigerator.

These kinds of things keep happening, not often but often enough, and you don’t know quite what to worry about. But in the new book “When Memory Fades” by Nathaniel Chin, MD, you’ll learn about the journey ahead, for both of you.

You can’t remember why you walked into a room. You got lost last week, going to the bank. Popular wisdom says that things like that are normal as we age, but Chin says that’s not true – although the answer may not be a worst-case scenario, either. Yes, memory problems could just be signs of stress, dehydration, or lack of sleep – or is it time to see a doctor?

Chin says maybe, yes.

He was working his way through medical residency when his father, a geriatrician in Madison, Wisc., was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Chin, now a geriatrician, was blindsided, but that diagnosis also changed his life.

Here, he writes about the brain, and how Alzheimer’s and dementia are diagnosed, explaining that dementia has many faces and, depending on a doctor’s evaluation, memory problems might be slowed or improved. He shares his father’s illness with readers, but he also writes about his mother, a steadfast, steady caretaker.

Her story reminds reader-guardians to care for themselves, too.

Know how to talk the talk, so that you can have “a more productive” conversation with your doctor. Understand that there’s nothing “normal” about dementia or Alzheimer’s. Know the statistics – African Americans are affected with dementia twice as much as whites – and know how to lower your risks. Learn here what questions to ask, how to break the news to everyone, and any legal matters that will be important soon. And know how to tend to you.

Says Chin, “The best action you can take is to educate yourself… The more you understand, the better equipped you are to make sound judgments.”

Something’s off about Dad, just a lot of little things that don’t add up. When is it time to step in? “When Memory Fades” can help you decide.

Wise, wide-spread, comprehensive, and compassionately helpful, this is a book you can read and then take it to the doctor with your loved one. It’s a book that makes sense when nothing else does, and its biggest feature is that it smoothly transitions from easy-to-grasp science and charts, to gentle coaching for caregivers. Author Nathaniel Chin, MD writes with storytelling, humility, grace, and experience from both sides of the Alzheimer’s/dementia issue, and his words are reassuring but also urgent. Learn, but don’t wait, he says. Know how to safeguard yourself. See your doctor, and don’t fear testing. Watch for signs of depression. And never, ever stop asking for help.

Read those last seven words, and find “When Memory Fades” now. It’s a book to have on your shelf, whether you’re 45 or 95 because, as you’ll see, dementia happens and knowledge is key.

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