Judas Priest singer calls out American homophobes
In a new appearance on Jake Shears’ podcast “Queer The Music,” Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford opened up about his experiences with homophobia. His comments came after Scissor Sisters vocalist Shears asked him whether he thinks attitudes towards sexuality have changed since he publicly came out in 1998.
While Halford thinks things are better than they were over 40 years ago, he also argues that homophobia remains prevalent throughout the US.
“Oh, yeah, although depending on where you’re at,” Halford said. “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. But when I go on stage and perform with Priest, some guys will say, ‘I love Judas Priest, but I’m not gay,’” he added, laughing. “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 did acknowledge, though, that most of his fans are generally supportive, and that his sexuality is irrelevant to the band’s shows.
“When I walk out on stage, when Priest is doing headline tours and I know that everybody has come there to see this band and hear the songs that we’ve made and watch us perform, surely they’re there with complete acceptance in their heart,” he said.
“Everybody in that room is, like, ‘Well, we don’t care’ – as they shouldn’t. They shouldn’t care. This labelling, it shouldn’t be a part of anything. 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.”
