Drew Barrymore praises brave Ricky

Apr 19, 2010, 12:23 GMT

Drew Barrymore has praised Ricky Martin for coming out as gay.

The actress was one of many famous faces to rally around the singer - who revealed his sexuality last month - at the 21st annual Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Media Awards on Saturday (17.04.10).

She said: "My lofty goal in this world is that we can live in a world that doesn't judge each other, I just want people to be able to live their lives that are true to them. I celebrate what Ricky is doing because, we have to create a world for each other where acceptance is first and foremost."

Drew was at the awards to pick up a special honour in recognition of her efforts to increase understanding of the gay community.

As well as praising Ricky before the ceremony, she used her acceptance speech to pay tribute to a number of inspirational gay people in her life.

Former 'American Idol' contestant Adam Lambert - who performed at the event - also praised the 'Livin' La Vida Loca' hitmaker, and hopes his admission will encourage other celebrities to be more open about their sexuality.

He told 'Access Hollywood': "It's great to see people like Ricky feeling liberated to come out and come forward, and hopefully it will open the door wide open for more and more people to be comfortable with who they are."

Gay Judas Priest singer Rob Halford also lent his support to the pop star.

He said: "I think Ricky was really eloquent with the statement he made about the reason why he held back. At the end of the day you're dealing with a very personal and private issue. What he did was incredibly important for himself and the Latino community."

The messages came just days before Ricky unveiled a raunchy new promotional video in celebration of his forthcoming 'Black and White' tour.

The footage features the 38-year-old star naked with strategically-placed digital tattoos featuring slogans written in Spanish which translate as 'find yourself', 'forgive' and 'change your life', among others.