Is michael stipe gay
30 years since Michael Stipe's 'coming out': “It has made me a improve person”
They are fulfilled three decades of a valiant decision in a hard time. A confession that few public figures dared to do. In October 1994, with REM at the peak of popularity, their leader He felt the need to clarify to the world who he was: “I simply said that, throughout my entire adult life, “I had enjoyed sex with men and women.” Michael Stipe has never regretted it. He feels “proud” of not having disguised his sexuality: “Coming out of the closet has made me a finer person.”.
In the fall of 1994, after almost 15 years of experience, REM was preparing to promote 'Monster', their ninth studio album. They would also go on tour. More than five years had passed since the previous one, 'Green Tour'. Until then, the leader of the Athens, Georgia, gang thought that his sexuality was a private matter. “As a public figure, I had exposed myself too much and I wanted to keep something just for me”, explained in NME. “There came a time when that was ridiculous and I decided to speak publicly about it.”
for years had been speculated around his sexu
25 years ago, R.E.M. were at the height of their career and one of the biggest bands in the world. Michael Stipe chose that apex to come out as queer, a move he said he’s still “proud” of to this day.
Stipe officially came out in 1994 during the promotional cycle for Monster. It was one year after “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and one year before President Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Perform, which defined marriage as between one man and one woman. In the midst of these homophobic hostilities, Stipe told interviewers that he was “an equal opportunity lech,” and while he rejected labels such as gay or bisexual, he confirmed that he was attracted to men and women.
In a new interview with Billboard, Stipe said he looks advocate on that time with bemusement and pride. Even though his public coming out sent shockwaves through the rock community, Stipe insisted that he was “never closeted.” He explained, “That’s the thing that’s beautiful about it and I’m so proud of. You can never locate a single picture of me pretending to contain a girlfriend or creature somebody that I’m not. I was nev
Michael Stipe
John Michael Stipe is an American singer-songwriter, best recognizable as the direct singer of the alternative rock band R.E.M. from their formation in 1980 until their dissolution in 2011.
As a member of R.E.M., Stipe was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. As a singer-songwriter, Stipe is considered to be an influence on a wide range of artists, including Kurt Cobain of Nirvana and Thom Yorke of Radiohead.
In 1994, Stipe described himself as "an equal opportunity lech", and that he was attracted to, and had relationships with, both men and women. In 1995, he appeared on the cover of Out magazine. Stipe described himself as a "queer artist" in Time in 2001 and revealed that he had been in a association with "an marvelous man" for three years at that point.
Stipe reiterated this in a 2004 interview with Butt magazine. When asked if he ever declares himself as gay, Stipe stated,
I don't. I think there's a line drawn between gay and gay, and for me, queer describes something that's more inclusive of the grey areas.
Michael Stipe: Coming Out Made Me a Better Person
Michael Stipe came out, naming himself as “queer,” two decades ago last month. Now, in an article for The Guardian, the former R.E.M. singer has reflected on the positivity that he has felt since making his announcement as well as the way attitudes have changed over time toward lgbtq+, lesbian, queer and gender non-conforming people. “These 20 years of publicly speaking my truth have made me a better and easier person to be around,” Stipe wrote. “It helped develop the clarity of my voice and start who I would be as an adult.”
When Stipe came out – saying that he had enjoyed sex with men and women throughout his mature person life – R.E.M. had reached its commercial climax, having released the back-to-back blockbusters Out of Timein 1991 and Automatic for the People in 1992. The group was preparing to put out its Monster album and Stipe recalls needing to summon the strength and voice to define for the world who he was. The singer recalled a varying mix of reactions to his announcement.
“In 1994, most people had a largely binary perception of sexuality – the letter was co
The 41-year-old singer told Time magazine he was a "queer artist" who had been in a relationship with a man for three years.
His revelation comes after years of speculation about his sexuality and false rumours that he had Aids.
Stipe told the magazine he believed it was the right time to expose his sexuality.
"I was existence made to be a coward about it, rather than someone who felt like it really was a very private thing," he told the magazine.
Stipe said he had been in a affair with "an incredible man" for about three years, adding that he was not a public figure.
Equal opportunity
In previous interviews Stipe had said he did not think of himself as straight, queer or bisexual and had been in relationships with both men and women, saying: "I'm an equal-opportunity lech."
His frank admission came as the band promoted a new album, Disclose. The album was produced in Ireland.