Savage Garden's
Darren Hayes comes out

Darren Hayes, formerly of the hit Australian pop group Savage Garden, officially came out Monday on his Web site. Hayes also reports that he married his boyfriend, Richard, on June 19 in a civil partnership ceremony in London.

"I feel lucky to live in an era where my relationship can be considered legally legitimate," wrote Hayes, "and I commend the U.K. government for embracing this very basic civil liberty. I am proud of who I am, and after what felt like an eternity, I'm finally in a place where my heart is secure and content. And I can finally make sense of all of the searching." The coming-out took the form of a letter to fans thanking them for supporting him over the years and saying, "Your overwhelming message to me lately seems to be that you are just glad that I am happy. For this, I am eternally grateful." (The Advocate)