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By MARKO JOVANOVIC
JUDAS Priest’s iconic frontman, Rob Halford, has offered a candid look into his experiences with homophobia, particularly in the United States, during a recent appearance on the Queer The Music podcast hosted by Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears.
When asked by Shears if he felt attitudes towards sexuality have evolved since he publicly came out in 1998, the Metal God gave a nuanced reply. “Oh, yeah, although depending on where you’re at,” Halford stated. “America is still incredibly homophobic. I’ve lived here for a long time and I’ve seen a lot happen since the eighties.”
Halford, who is currently on tour in North America, shared that the persistence of homophobia angers and upsets him. He also touched on the sometimes-conflicting reactions from within the metal community itself.
The singer noted an interesting, if somewhat amusing, defence some fans put up. “Some guys will say, ‘I love Judas Priest but I’m not gay’,’” Halford explained with a laugh. “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.”
Despite these lingering attitudes, Halford believes that at Judas Priest shows, acceptance is the prevailing feeling in the room. He emphasised that his sexuality is irrelevant to the music and the performance.
“When I walk out on stage … surely they’re there with complete acceptance in their heart,” he said. “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.”
The frontman also revisited the moment he came out on MTV, a spontaneous remark made while promoting his former project, 2wo. “I go, ‘Well, speaking as a gay man, this is, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah’,” he recalled. “And then I heard somebody’s clipboard drop on the floor.”
The unscripted nature of the announcement felt natural, like a “pure stream of consciousness.” Though he initially questioned his impulsive decision, Rob quickly resolved, “I don’t care.”
Looking back, Halford has acknowledged that his sexuality was an open secret within his inner circle, including the band, label, and management. As he told NME in 2024, many fans reacted with a collective, “Well, we always thought you were gay anyway”.
However, he doesn’t downplay the challenges. Halford has previously spoken about the difficulties of navigating the metal world as a gay man, noting the “pushback” and homophobia that he still encounters.
In a 2019 interview with the Edmonton Journal, Halford stated that coming out was a concern, as he was “surrounded by homophobia, which still exists today”. He pointed out the harsh reality that there are still places in the world he cannot visit for fear of persecution, poignantly describing the struggle of “living your life for everyone else, but not yourself”.
Judas Priest is promoting its 19th studio album “Invincible Shield,” released in March 2024 with Andy Sneap at the helm of production. You can check out the album’s fourth and latest single, “The Serpent and the King,” in the embedded player below.
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