The British singer, who tied the knot with long-term partner David
Furnish in a civil partnership ceremony in 2005, said people must
stand up for the human rights
of homosexuals.
"In December 2005, I was legally bound to the man I love," he wrote in
the New Statesman magazine. "It's my legal right and my human right. And I
wanted everyone to know, I wanted to shout about it.
"In some countries, my voice would have been drowned out. Maybe even stamped out.
"Men and women are persecuted and attacked every day all over the
world, just because of who they love."
The singer, who celebrates his 60th birthday on Sunday, paid tribute to
William Hernandez, a gay rights campaigner.
Amnesty International says Hernandez and others in his organization
Entre Amigos (Between Friends) have received death threats for their work.
"People like William are a lot braver than me. When the bigots shout
abuse, they shout back," the singer wrote.
"Whether the bigot is in our local pub or a thousand miles away, we
should all stand up and speak out for these basic human rights."