Me

relationship with a man, I said to my assistant: “No one will ever judge me for who I go to bed with.”
    My assistant, who was a bit taken aback because he had no idea what I was talking about, said: “That’s it, Kiki. That’s it. You just keep doing your thing.”
    Even though my sexual inclinations are not like those of the majority on the planet, I don’t think this should define me any more than my preference for mango-flavored ice cream, or the fact that I have brown hair. In the same way that one should never judge people because of the color of their skin, their religious beliefs, or their ethnic origin, people should never be judged for what they do in bed or who they do it with. Sooner or later, all of us feel judged or discriminated against because of who we are, and for this reason we all have the fundamental responsibility to battle against these prejudices and make ourselves respected for who we are.
    In late 2009 I read about several hate crimes that occurred in Puerto Rico and in other parts of the world; this awoke a rage in me that I can’t even express. The cases were so perverse and shocking that I can only feel repulsion, indignation, and a profound desire to move mountains so that things such as this will cease to occur. The anger I felt inspired me to write a letter, which I published on my Web site and later announced via Twitter:
    As a human rights activist for many years, I’ve been able to witness countless miracles. I’ve seen the amazing capacity that human beings have to heal; I’ve seen governments and private citizens try to change public policies and fight battles of love that have resulted in a positive impact on our society. I’ve seen boys and girls from different parts of the world free themselves from the bondage of human trafficking (the slavery of the new era) and amazing people renounce their “lives of luxury” to help those who need it most. Witnessing miracles of all kinds has strengthened the faith in humanity that my parents instilled in me, which is the same faith that I try to pass on to my children every day. When I watch them discovering the world, I think kindness is one of the greatest virtues that I can teach them.
    On the other hand, I’ve also seen insufferable things that have made it impossible for me to hold on to the naïveté that I had as a child and have always tried to maintain. Traveling the world from an early age and witnessing unimaginable crimes against humanity has stolen part of the innocence that I had as a young boy. There were many moments when I forgot about the child that lives inside of me. You know, that child that we all have within and who constantly reminds us to focus on the beauty of “simplicity.” But that moment of disconnection was many years ago, and thanks to the work that I do with my foundation as a part of my daily life, I’m fortunate enough to say that I have reconnected with that inner child and continue to learn from him. One of the most important things I have learned is to SHOUT to the world when I encounter injustice, and that is why I am writing today.
    I try to walk through life with a positive outlook. I do all I can to keep a grateful and optimistic attitude. Call me a romantic, an idealist, or maybe someone who’s just not realistic. Maybe it’s a defense mechanism or maybe it’s just that I’m someone who wants to change the chain of negative thoughts that have been fed to us in many ways and which can easily poison the soul. We are all human and sometimes it’s easier to ignore the pain and go on with our day. “That has nothing to do with us,” we may say; “Why should we care?” But today, I feel that’s impossible. It does have to do with us. I do care.
    In the past few weeks, I’ve read many articles that have made me shudder, and unfortunately the articles relate to things that are happening every day around the world. I find it almost impossible to believe that in the year 2009, we’re struggling with such hateful situations.
    As a defender of human rights, my goal is to find solutions for the injustices that exist in the world today. I am speaking about discrimination of any kind, whether it is because of race, gender, nationality, religion, ethnicity, handicap, sexual orientation, or political affiliation.
    SO I SHOUT: WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE WORLD TODAY?
    I’m sure you all have different answers. But at the end of the day, it seems that the collective response usually