More than 25 years after he publicly came out as a gay man, Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford has offered a sober assessment of the state of acceptance in 2025, declaring in a new interview, “America is still incredibly homophobic.” The Metal God reflected on the progress made and the prejudice that persists, contrasting the “pure act of love” he receives from his band and fans with the bigotry that still exists in society.
Speaking on the “Queer The Music” podcast, Halford was asked about the changes he’s witnessed in the heavy metal world since he came out in a 1998 MTV interview.
“Oh, yeah, although depending on where you’re at. America is still incredibly homophobic,” Halford stated (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “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.’ [Laughs] 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.”
He contrasted this frustrating reality with the powerful sense of unity he feels at a Judas Priest concert.
“When I walk out on stage… and I know that everybody has come there to see this band… surely they’re there with complete acceptance in their heart,” he explained. “Everybody in that room is, like, ‘Well, we don’t care’ — as they shouldn’t. They shouldn’t care. This labeling, 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.”
Halford also looked back on the famous moment he came out to the world during an interview for his side 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, because I had literally formally announced to the world that I’m a gay man. So I did that show. I went back to the hotel, sat in the room, going, ‘What have I done? What have I done?’ And I was, like, ‘I don’t care.'”
Years later, when he rejoined Judas Priest in 2003 as an openly gay man, his bandmates’ reaction was one of unwavering support.
“For the guys to welcome me back and not even mention it, again, it was just a pure act of love,” he said. “So it’s a great story… to ‘We don’t care.’ Again, it’s all about the music.”
