Former DEATH and current CYNIC members Paul Masvidal (guitar, vocals) and Sean Reinert (drums), who are both gay, have spoken out for the first time about their sexuality in the context of their music.

Masvidal, 43, who had come out to friends and family in 1991, and later began exploring drag bars and gay nightclubs while on tour, told the Los Angeles Times, "It's one thing to make out with your bandmates and just 'play gay' because it's edgy. It's another thing to actually live it."

Reinert, 42, who took a bit longer to come out, said: "I knew that, secretly, I wanted to go to those clubs too. But back then, my stereotype of how to be gay was wearing dresses and tank tops. I didn't have any masculine, metal role models who were gay."

He added: "I went on a date with this one awful guy who blogged about it on his web site. So for years, if you typed my name into Google, the second thing that came up, after 'Sean Reinert Drummer,' was 'Sean Reinert Gay.'"

Masvidal and Reinert admitted to the Los Angeles Times that they were nervous about coming out publicly. "There's definitely going to be a reaction, but it's important that we be truthful," Masvidal said.

"Gay people are everywhere, doing every job, playing every kind of music and we always have been," Reinert added. "It's taken me years to finally be brave enough to say, 'If you have a problem with that, then throw out our records. That's your problem, not mine.'"