New York - In an announcement made today, Donatello from the famous Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or TMNT has announced he is gay. Largely thought to be the intellectual and the pacifist of the group, according to Donatello, his intellectual and calm attitude in the past was a way of expressing his feminine side, in a non-homosexual way. He stressed he is the same old Donatello. “I think it is important to remember that I am still the same old Donatello. The only difference now is now I am free, free to express myself as a homosexual turtle,” says Donatello.

The announcement came on the heals of the recently released photos of Donatello in an underground gay porn film. The photos are quite explicit and show Donatello receiving fellatio from another male turtle. In response to the photos Donatello maintains, “… I was young, horny and confused… I needed a little extra cash. It was stupid and regret my decision to be apart of that film, but I cannot take it back and have to live with my decision, but God that was a great blowjob.” Donatello wants people to know that his sexual behavior, although very private to him, has been very safe. “I think it is cliché to think that all homosexual turtles engage in risky behavior, or that they all have TIV (Turtle Immunodeficiency Virus). I am very safe and clean,” boasts Donatello.

Apparently his mutant cohorts, with the exception of Raphael who just recently found out, knew about Donatello’s sexual preference. “You know, it’s hard to keep something like that to yourself when you’re around people you know and love almost 24-7,” says Donatello. When reached for comment Michelangelo of TMNT said, “I don’t care if he’s gay, more ladies and pizza for me, woohoo.” Donatello even suggests that he may not be the only one with homosexual tendencies in the clan. “One time, Leonardo after being used as a rebound by Ninjara one of Raphael’s ex-girlfriends, came to me very upset. We got to drinking, sharing our feelings, and one thing led to another and I ended up blowing him.” When reached for comment, Leonardo stated, “I was so drunk! Get off my back!”

Looking back over the years there were definite signs of Donatello’s homosexuality. He of course picked purple as his color, he fought with a bo-staff which is the most phallic of all the turtle’s weapons, he never had a girlfriend on the show, and of course he drove a Honda Del-sol. One episode had the Mutant turtles surfing at the beach and an editing mistake obviously missed the cutting room floor, because it shows Donatello visibly aroused by his surfing buddies in their bathing suits. “I remember that time at the beach, I had a raging boner that just wouldn’t go away, I told everyone it was the pleats from the suit,” says Donatello. “Looking back, it was kind of funny, ’cause I don’t think anyone believed me.”

Donatello plans to take it easy for a while and enjoy his now public relationship with his turtle partner Zeus the famous interior sewer designer. In the near future Donatello wants to do what every famous gay celebrity does when they come out. He wants his own day time talk show. “I want to do something creative, something new to the daytime talk show scene. Something like - how to fight a huge robot and still look fabulous. I’m thinking about calling the show ‘Hello Donatello’, I think that accurately portrays my new image,” contends Donatello. The new show has not been officially announced and Donatello’s people say it is just concept right now and it’s being shopped around to different networks for consideration.