Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick spoke about gay musicians in metal
During an appearance on The Jasta Show , guitarist Alex Skolnick discussed the fact that there are few gay musicians in metal.
He said that “the idea of having a gay vocalist in a metal band” was “shocking” before Rob Halford . The Judas Priest came out as gay in 1998. Skolnick noted that “it’s good that this is no longer an issue.”
He was asked why more musicians haven't come out in recent decades. "I think there's a code of silence. It's like a 'don't ask, don't tell'," he said, referring to the American military. Previously, a homosexual could enlist as long as they weren't out.
“I think people are okay with it – even the more conservative metal fans. And there are a lot of conservative metalheads. I hear from them sometimes. But they have a seat at the table too. I think they’re okay with it. But they don’t want to hear too much about it. It’s almost like political identity in a sense. ‘Okay, you can do whatever you want, just give us more music and don’t do it in front of us.’ And I understand that side of it too. But I think it’s a good thing that it’s not a problem.”
Skolnick recounted that he and Randy Blythe , lead singer of Lamb of God , interviewed Danica Roem for Unbuilt . She is the first transgender person elected to the Virginia state legislature in the US. “She’s fantastic,” he said. “She was elected by a lot of people – people who wouldn’t normally vote for a trans person. She earned their trust, and it was great.”
READ ALSO: Rob Halford: “When I came out as gay, I really didn’t think about the consequences”
