We don't know how we missed this, except that we were suffering from The Plague, but R.E.M frontman Michael Stipe officially came out of the closet Monday, leaving R.E.M. fans everywhere unfazed, while still a little proud of the guy for finally making it happen.
“It was super complicated for me in the ’80s," he tells Spin. "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.”
What was not obvious to Stipe was how coming out could help other closeted gay men and women.
"But I see now, of course, that’s the case," he says. "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.”
We're not pointing any fingers, or naming any names, but there are a few celebrities who could take a lesson, or at least some inspiration from Stipe. It's not like it's the 80's anymore, RS, CA, JT and TC.
[US Weekly: R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe: I'm Gay]