Text written by WikiBrother Lucas David
The LGBT+ movement in heavy metal has always been a complicated issue. While it has gained more prominence due to broader societal discussions, it still sparks debate about how the genre cannot accept homosexual musicians and that bands and specialized websites shouldn't discuss the topic, as only the music matters to them.
This prejudice already existed and still exists against women. Many rock fans don't accept that women are present in bands, like the style, or wear the t-shirt without mentioning all the songs from an album (for example).
Homophobia happens more often than we might imagine. Talking about this problem, especially with big names in rock and metal who are part of the community, is still not commonplace, reinforcing the idea that heavy metal music is only for heterosexual men. Rob Halford , vocalist of Judas Priest , came out as gay in 1998, which was unpleasant news for some and ended up generating attacks because of his sexuality. Even so, he is still the Metal God and, along with Judas Priest, remains one of the biggest names in metal, just like Freddie Mercury and Queen.
So what is the real problem? We observe that this often happens with smaller artists, who are not known worldwide and are therefore seen as "more vulnerable" to attacks from those who think they control the style. It's worth remembering that Brazil remains among the countries with the highest rates of LGBT murders.
One of the latest news items that caused this discomfort was related to pop artist Pabllo Vittar , who appeared on her social media wearing a shirt from the Brazilian extreme metal band Manger Cadavre (fronted by vocalist Nata de Lima ), leaving more conservative fans indignant, accusing the artist of being a "poser." However, the pop diva has demonstrated several times that she knows the genre, citing bands that even "real rockers" don't know.
The documentary "LGBT+ in Brazilian Heavy Metal," which emerged with the intention of bringing the discussion about sexuality to the forefront to understand the real importance of LGBT artists who make up the scene and, above all, to encourage reflection on how everyone can be better people, is excellent for those who want to know more about the topic and how it is addressed within the genre, as is the book "Black Metal Rainbows ," which portrays black metal as an open and inclusive style.
Here's a thought regarding black metal. Considered one of the most extreme styles of metal, it includes many LGBT+ artists who are seen as true revolutionaries, declaring war against those who view the style only as a brutal expression of heterosexuality. An example is Gaahl , who has been the vocalist for several bands, becoming best known for his work with Gorgoroth . In 2010, he received the "Gay of the Year" award at the Bergan Gay Galla in Norway.
*This text was written by a Wikimate and does not necessarily represent the opinions of the site's authors.
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