“One of the things I think I’ve done successfully as a media figure is avoid a lot of the cliches, like the macho posing. I’ve tried really hard to blur the lines, and a lot of that does have to do with sexuality. I like fucking around with gender. I like writing songs that aren’t gender-specific. And I really felt an alliance with both Kurt and River in that both of those guys, in their respective fields, were doing the same thing”

- Michael Stipe