by Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford has shared his belief that America remains an “incredibly homophobic” country.
Halford came out as gay in 1998 during an interview with MTV and is married to his husband, Thomas. The Judas Priest frontman is one of the most prominent members of the LGBTQ+ community within the heavy metal scene.
The metal icon addressed his sexuality in a recent interview with Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears on the Queer The Music podcast, revealing that he’s “seen a lot happen” to those within the gay community, which continues to make him “angry and upset”.
Per Blabbermouth, Halford said on the podcast about the current hostility towards gay people in the US, which is where the British singer calls home, “America is still incredibly homophobic, I’ve lived here for a long time and I’ve seen a lot happen since the ’80s. It really gets me angry and upset.”
He also said that fans regularly tell him they are a fan of the band while also bizarrely making it clear to Halford they are straight. The Judas Priest frontman shared, “But when I go onstage and perform with Priest, some guys will say, ‘I love Judas Priest, but I’m not gay’. You know that thing – ‘I’m a huge fan of Priest, but I’m not a gay guy’ – that still lives with me now to some extent. It might be a fraction.”
Halford said there is an “acceptance” from fans attending Judas Priest headline shows about his sexuality, and claimed, “They shouldn’t care. It’s about what you’re doing. It’s about your art and your craft and your work. That’s all that matters.”
He then opened up about his decision to come out in 1998 during an interview, which wasn’t pre-planned. Halford shared, “It just a pure stream of consciousness just talking away, and so it just came into the conversation and that was that.”
Judas Priest are currently on tour in the US with Alice Cooper. Halford also recently revealed the band recorded a version of the Black Sabbath classic ‘War Pigs’, which has been a staple at their gigs for many years, with Ozzy Osbourne, that he hopes will eventually be released.
