CYNIC Talk Frontman Paul Masvidal, Drummer Sean Reinert Coming Out As Gay – "It's About The Kid Out There Who Is Suffering In Silence; This Conversation Might Be A Source Of Encouragement"

In a new interview with The L.A. Times, Cynic members Paul Masvidal and Sean Reinert discuss their lives and how it affected the band when they came out as gay. An excerpt from the interview is available below:

Some fans have always wondered about their sexuality. Interviewers pushed the point by asking about hypothetical wives and kids. Sometimes their metal-scene celebrity caught up with them in their romantic lives.

“I went on a date with this one awful guy who blogged about it on his website,” Reinert said. “So for years, if you typed my name into Google, the second thing that came up, after ‘Sean Reinert Drummer,’ was ‘Sean Reinert Gay.'”

They’re grateful to be coming out to fans in a much different era for metal. “There’s much more bandwidth now. Fans are so much more open and experimental,” Reinert said.

Sean Malone (bass), who is straight, has watched them fight against the worst of the metal scene’s homophobia for years.

“What I’m proud of is that Paul and Sean know that this isn’t really about them — it’s about the kid out there who is struggling and suffering in silence, and that for him or her, this conversation might be a source of encouragement,” Malone said.

Even in their 40s, and with gay marriage becoming law across America, Masvidal and Reinert (who lives with a longtime boyfriend) can’t quite shake doubts that their careers in metal are still at risk.

“It’s one thing to make out with your bandmates and just ‘play gay’ because it’s edgy,” Masvidal said. “It’s another thing to actually live it.”

They’re also nervous that coming out will take the focus off their music. “There’s definitely going to be a reaction, but it’s important that we be truthful,” Masvidal said.

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