R.E.M. Frontman Michael Stipe Comes Out

In an interview found in the current issue of Spin magazine, R.E.M. lead singer Michael Stipe came out. Though he had been open about his sexuality with his family and his band for nearly three decades, Stipe had been reluctant to publicly come out, telling Spin that he "didn't always see" how coming out could help others.

"Now I recognize that to have public figures be very open about their sexuality helps some kid somewhere out there," he says.

Stipe first hinted at his sexuality in a 1991 interview with Time magazine, in which he described himself as a "queer artist," but had not officially discussed his orientation, telling Spin, "I thought it was pretty obvious."

The Spin interview hits newsstands today. R.E.M. releases their 14th studio album, Accelerate, on April 1.