See the statement.
On an American radio program, Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford spoke about the discrimination the LGBT community faces around the world. Halford came out as gay in 1998.
“I get so frustrated and angry because it’s 2017 and… You know, growing up and realizing your preference… Well, it’s not really a preference, it’s who you are. I didn’t make the choice. I am who I am. And in the society I grew up in, and in society today still, we have a huge problem with equality.”.
I always felt, when I was a teenager and even in my twenties and thirties, that things would get better, but they haven't. We still have a long way to go in the United States and in my home country. In some parts of the world, people like me are thrown out of windows, people are hanged, just because of who they are. So there are many injustices that the gay population suffers, as well as injustices of race or religion (…) The world is crazy, isn't it? You would imagine that nowadays we would have learned to live and let others live, to love each other, and to accept each other for who we are. Life is short.”
Rob Halford then spoke about his own experience, and what it was like to come out as gay while being part of the metal community. Halford said that when he came out as gay, he received support from the entire community:
“It was very exciting for me. And it was a very good moment for Metal as well. Because for a long time Metal was the ugly duckling of Rock and Roll, Metal didn't receive any respect, it was always in the background. So I thought, 'Isn't this cool?' It serves to show that we in the Metal community, probably because of the prejudice we received for the music we love, are more tolerant, more open-minded, the kindest and most accepting of all types of Rock music. It was a great moment.”.