Michael Stipe On 20 Years Of Being Out

"In 1994, most people had a largely binary perception of sexuality – the message was complicated for them. I am thrilled to see how much this has changed in those 20 years. The 21st century has provided all of us, recent generations particularly, with a clearer idea of the breadth of fluidity with which sexuality and identity presents itself in each individual. Gender identification, and the panoply of sexuality and identity are now topics that are more easily and more widely discussed, debated and talked about openly. It’s thrilling to see progressive change shift perceptions so quickly.

"What I feel we have arrived at with all this, is that queerness – as I am happy to call an all-embracing, foundational tenet – is really a state of mind brought about by an understanding: it is understanding difference, accepting your own truth, desire and identity, and lovely, lovely choice. It is the final, completely obvious contemporary acceptance and understanding that this enormous world of beauty, sexuality, identity, lust, feeling, excitement, and love isn’t just black and white, or simple, at all – it is literally every shade and gradation of the rainbow. It doesn’t just lie in one of two camps. It includes accepting and supporting positions that you may not even completely understand; and to arrive at that conviction is so, so beautiful, and to quote my great friend Casey Legler: 'Fierce!'

"These 20 years of publicly speaking my truth have made me a better and easier person to be around. It helped develop the clarity of my voice and establish who I would be as an adult. I am proud to be who I am, and I am happy to have shared that with the world." - REM frontman Michael Stipe, in an essay for the Guardian. Next month REM will release an 11-disc vinyl box set collection of its singles, titled 7IN – 83–88, which will include reproductions of all their IRS Records singles from those years, including the original sleeve art. (Tipped by JMG reader Mike)

Quote Of The Day - Michael Stipe

"In the early Eighties, as a 22-year-old queer man living during the Reagan-Bush administration, I was afraid to get tested for HIV for fear of quarantine, the threat of internment camps and having my basic civil rights stripped away. I waited five years to get my first anonymous test. I am happy that attitudes have matured and changed, and I feel lucky that I live in a country where acceptance, tolerance and policy toward HIV-AIDS and LGBTQ issues have advanced as far as they have." - REM frontman Michael Stipe, speaking on tonight's episode of Trailblazers on Logo.

Bidding Now Open For Ali Forney Center's Shred Of Hope Celebrity T-Shirt Auction

Bidding is now open for the Shred Of Hope celebrity t-shirt auction to benefit the Ali Forney Center. Posing with their creations above are Scissor Sisters guitarist Babydaddy, Tony winner Jeff Whitty, REM lead singer Michael Stipe, former Ali Forney client Isis (who has appeared on America's Next Top Model), Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black, and Marvel Comics illustrator Phil Jimenez.

T-shirts have also been created by B-52s frontman Fred Schneider, pop star Adam Lambert, Golden Globe nominee John Cameron Mitchell, rock star Bob Mould, AFC founder Carl Siciliano, and many others including yours truly.  Hit the first link, click on "designers," and help the homeless LGBT kids of New York City. Fly, my winged monkeys, FLY!

RELATED: Tonight Nasty Pig will host a VIP launch party for the auction. I'll be there trying not to have the usual fanboy freakout that happens whenever I'm around Fred Schneider. Lots of photos tomorrow!

UPDATE: The Shred Of Hope site has crashed under high traffic. You can view and bid on the shirts directly on eBay.

Michael Stipe Vs Fox News

Michael Stipe:

"Losing My Religion" was used in the Fox News coverage of the Democratic National Convention last night. R.E.M. today, through its music publisher, Warner-Tamerlane Music, demanded that Fox News cease and desist from continuing its unlicensed and unauthorized use of the song. Michael Stipe said, "We have little or no respect for their puff adder brand of reportage. Our music does not belong there."

Fox News:

FOX News Channel’s use of an R.E.M. song during Thursday’s edition of ‘Fox & Friends’ was in full accordance with its license agreements with all appropriate parties,” a Fox News representative said. “Nevertheless, we’re always flattered to have this much attention for a song selection and we hope R.E.M. was able to satisfy their publicity fix.

HomoQuotable - Michael Stipe

"Most of the time that I was a pop star I loved it. But in this period leading up to 1985 I had this complete nervous breakdown, and nobody recognized it. The guys just thought I was being impossible. Depression wasn’t something that people really talked about back then. Until I was finally able to get an anonymous H.I.V. test in ’87, there was a sense of dread and paranoia every time I got a cold." - Michael Stipe, speaking to the New York Times.

Michael Stipe: I'm 80% Gay

"On a sliding scale of sexuality I’d place myself around 80-20, but I definitely prefer men to women. I had sex with, and enjoyed sex with, women until I met someone that I fell in love with, and who is now my boyfriend. I wasn’t troubled or confused, but I just felt there wasn’t a place for me. I hate and refuse to apply the term bisexual to myself. It doesn’t seem appropriate. It feels like just another label." - REM lead singer Michael Stipe, speaking to the Observer.

Michael Stipe Press Announcement

Cute, very cute.