R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe talks to SPIN magazine about how it was to come out to his friends and family, and about how important it is for famous people to come out of the closet publicly.

"It was super complicated for me in the '80s. I was totally open with the band and my family and my friends and certainly the people I was sleeping with. I thought it was pretty obvious," Stipe says about his sexuality.

Stipe also says that he has come to see the importance of celebrities coming out publicly:
"I didn't always see that. But I see now, of course that's the case, of course that's needed. I'd just never felt strongly enough about a particular relationship to say, 'Yeah, he's my boyfriend, that is what it is.' Now I recognize that to have public figures be very open about their sexuality helps some kid somewhere out there."

Some of R.E.M.'s songs hold a clue to Stipe's sexuality:
"There are songs I wrote in the past that were gender-specific. '7 Chinese Brothers' was about me breaking up a couple — and then dating both of them, a man and a woman, which is a terrible thing to do, but I was young and stupid. At the time I was writing about what I knew, and what I knew was myself. I found out I'm not that kind of writer. I think I'm better when I write about things that are not me."

Last update: 03-18-2008 14:32

Posted by Tony, on 03-23-2008 15:54, 1. Whatever It bugs when these guys who decided after many years that they should become poster boys for gay life...Like they are something special all of a sudden..I would respect them more if they would Have come out when they first started in the Business...  The thing is, is that is it easier for musicians to come out because being gay doesn't affect their credibility...But if an actor comes out it will...So many roles will be lost say, due to the fact that they will not be percieved as a female's love interest .It would mean lost revenues because they will only get parts mostly playing gay men   » Report this comment to administrator Posted by Roger Howell, on 03-23-2008 23:13, 2. Celebrities Coming Out Obviously the peson who wrote the last post must still be in the Dark Ages. I mean come on I don't really think a movie or TV exec is really going to worry about a person's sexuality when comes to playing a role. I mean you have to at least take in to account Brokeback Mountain as one really great example. Yes most people seeing this movie were gay but from what I saw the several times I watched it, there where a lot of straight couples. Sometimes they were outnumbering the gays in the audiences where I saw the movie. It all comes down to the fact of how good of an actor a person is.   » Report this comment to administrator Posted by TONY, on 03-27-2008 10:03, 3. Whatever We are not talking about straight people playing gays...DUH ! ...we are talking about gay people coming out...For example...Suppose Suppose Vince Vaughn had come out as being gay...Do you think he would have had roles given to him opposite Jennifer Anistan as a love interest ?   Look at all the male stars that came out...The only parts they get are parts playing gays...  Only the few knew that Rock Hudson was gay...Do you think if the public knew , that he would have gotten all those roles ?...Talk about being in the Dark Ages...   » Report this comment to administrator