Rob Halford Says He Has Counseled Other Gay Musicians On Coming Out of the Closet

I hope I’m not breaking this news to anyone for the first time, but Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford is gay. That shouldn’t be a shocker to anyone since it’s been publicly known since he came out on MTV in 1998. But if this is your first time hearing it, good news, the Metal God is as queer as they come. If you have a problem with Halford being gay, or LGBTQ+ people in general, I invite you to stop reading here and go listen to your Skrewdriver records or whatever it is homophobes do with their time.

There, now that they’re all gone, I’ll continue.

Apparently, Halford is more than just a queer rock legend, he’s also played the role of a wise, queer elder to other LGBTQ+ musicians, although Halford isn’t naming any names for obvious reasons. In a recent interview with French Canadian LGBTQ+ magazine Fugues, Halford was asked if other gay musicians have ever sought advice from the Metal God about how to come out:

“Yes, that has happened, but I won’t name names because everyone comes out when it’s their time. As we all know, set yourself free. It’s such a difficult thing for us to do, even now in 2024 because we still have this ongoing challenge of hate and bigotry and intolerance and divisiveness. You think it would be a lot easier, but it’s not. The struggle is still very real for young people, and that’s where I hope any conversations I have with others do some good. You know, I read a story not long ago about a guy in his 90s who came out just before he took his dying breath. Glory hallelujah! It’s never too late to set yourself free because, as we know, once you’re out, the attacks float away. I’m fucking here, I’m queer, get fucking used to it!”

Halford went on to say that coming out “absolutely” saved his life, which is great to hear. Still, coming out is a difficult challenge in a time when LGBTQ+ people are making great strides, but, at the same time, facing massive backlash. But thanks to inspiring people like Rob Halford who have dared to be who they are, it’s possible that future generations of queer people won’t have to face the same obstacles that queer people today have to face.