This has been buzzing around the blogs for a few days now, but should you have missed it… R.E.M. will be on the cover of Spin next week. In the story, written by Michael Azerrad, frontman Michael Stipe speaks publicly and on record about his sexuality for the first time, like, ever:

The only time Stipe really takes a break is when he head to Europe most summers with his boyfriend. Following a long period of speculation about his sexuality, during which he was stubbornly coy and ambiguous, Stipe has been out for years but has rarely publicly discussed the topic in any depth. “It was supercomplicated for me in the ’80s,” he says. “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.”

Going public was a little easier when he realized it might inspire people to change their views about homosexuality. “I didn’t always see that,” he says. “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.”

The magazine is previewing the story here.