Rob Halford on coming out in the metal world

[PatrickHoyt]

*facepalm*

I think the thread is officially dead...we've confirmed Halford is/was/has been gay for the longest time now and he does well with interviews expressing his personal outlook on the gay community within the metal scene.

everything else has been trolls, butthurts, and oustanding bouts of wordplay and tests of patience through and through.


I don't know about all of you ladies and gents but I certainly feel accomplished.

 

[nomisofsiman]

Do you remember when Ghaal came out? (Do you even know who Ghaal is?) He and his former partner got death threats from people within the scene from all over the world and his gayness became a meme. The homophobic alpha-male metal scene thought it was a joke that big scary satan man must have soft cuddly wuddly side as well. Maybe it was funny in an ironic way at first, but most comments surrounding it are ridiculously homophobic. I just saw "Until the Light Takes Us" and HELLHAMMER (you know, the former Dimmu Borgir drummer and longtime member of Mayhem) of all people said something along the lines of "I'm glad Faust killed that faggot, he deserved it." Yeah, "not hateful" at all.

WHAT?!!! Dude, you are comparing two completely different scenarios. Halford is considered typically one of the top 2-3 metal vocalists of all time on a pretty regular basis. His main band and his solo bands have pretty wide appeal and don't have a lot of haters period. Btw, just in case someone thinks to argue me about that last sentence, I am not saying Halford's solo material is hugely popular, just that the fans are a pretty wide demographic. Anyways, to continue, black metal is probably the one metal genre with the most haters out there. Black metal fans (not all but a good portion) are not very sympathetic or accepting. They want their black metal to be "true" black metal. So, is it any real surprise that the fans acted the way they did when Ghaal came out? Like I said, classic metal fans are much more accepting than black metal. Secondly, Ghaal wasn't all that liked to begin with...unlike Halford. Sure, Gorgoroth fans like what he brought to the band, but we're talking a way smaller and secular group of fans than Halford's.

So, in general I would have to agree with others that metal fans are very accepting. From all the people I've met, talked to, etc. Are there going to be haters? Absolutely. There will in every single genre of music based on personal choices a musician has, if they leave a band/replaced, etc. As I hinted at, I think a lot of it boils down to what subgenre we're talking about. Comparing Ghaal and Halford coming out is like comparing apples and oranges.

 

[Akumu]

The second-hand embarrassment from this thread has officially become overwhelming. I want to stay quiet and simply watch from afar in horror, but the time has come for somebody to say:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaahl

Gaahl. Gaahl. GAAHL. GAAHL.

GAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHLLLLLLLLL carry on.

 

[DuchessOfDork]

I don't know about all of you ladies and gents but I certainly feel accomplished.

I know I do!

As for gay dudes being accepted in metal, it depends on the type of metal fan. The kind of metal fans I like spending time with don't care. The other kind.. I don't care about "those people".

I've had 2 gay band members, and 1 drag queen. The drag queen was AWESOME, but, true story.. one member of my old band had an issue with him because he "stole the spotlight" from me and the rest of the band. XD I didn't care, I thought it was awesome, but this guy didn't. He also told me he never wanted to work with a gay dude in the band again, because the one we worked with was a drama queen. Of course, this had nothing to do with him being gay, and everything to do with him being a Satanist. The other gay dude I've worked with was a total gem. Just goes to show you that being gay doesn't make you cool or not cool. It just makes you gay.

And now back to our regularly scheduled program.

 

[AngraRULES]

It's time to close the thread. I think everyone has had enough.

 

[nomisofsiman]

It's time to close the thread. I think everyone has had enough.

It definitely went in a direction it shouldn't have gone in that's for sure. So yeah, it should be closed.

 

[AngraRULES]

It definitely went in a direction it shouldn't have gone in that's for sure. So yeah, it should be closed.

Yeah. Although I think your last reply (after over a day of inactivity in the thread) will just serve as another chance for AeonicSlumber to come back with his counter-argument. Hopefully not.

 

[nomisofsiman]

Yeah. Although I think your last reply (after over a day of inactivity in the thread) will just serve as another chance for AeonicSlumber to come back with his counter-argument. Hopefully not.

Hopefully not. I admit I was about 50/50 whether or not I should post it, but it did sort of bother me. Looking back I shouldn't have because I do just want this thread to end.

 

[DuchessOfDork]

I'm confused as to what there is to argue about. :/

 

[Metalmilitia2000]

I don't understand why they just don't ban the fucker, he's obviously a troll.

 

[DuchessOfDork]

Come on dude, don't be a dick.

These are words to live by.

 

[Diabolik]

It is an interesting topic here.....in many music scenes most are open to about anyone. It is the metal scene where people still have the behavior of the 80's still with accepting different types of people. Sure there are lots of people...I would say about 90% who can care less about race, sex, or creed in the scene. But you will always have people who are one way thinkers. Go to an M.O.D. show and see the mentality there. I saw them years back at the Milwaukee Metalfest and Billy Milano was on stage and dedicated the song A.I.D.'s to Rob Halford and made comments about him in a not a nice way. People were cheering and stuff along with it. Most people will hide the fact that people who are different from them are accepted anywhere but in private will make comments and jokes about them. I think most intellegent people in the metal scene are open to everyone....it is the ones who like in life are closed minded. The same ones who cant accept girls playing metal. Most of these types are the ones who come to metal shows to mosh and stuff. These are the meatheads who are not open in any aspect in life. I think a lot of these people are from the small rural / religious towns.

I think people would be shocked to find out how many people they are fans of my be homosexual. There is also a transgender person in Ignitor. Does it effect the band? no. It is funny how people act different around someone who is gay or a different race. I never got it. I treat everyone the same...I used to work with lots of mentally handicapped people and I always talked to them like I did everyone else. I would joke around with them or even pull pranks on them like everyone else....best part is that they felt good around me because they knew I wasnt treating them "special". Same goes for anyone. I never got the treat people differently.....we are all the same. If they are different from you it doesnt make them do what they do different.

I also agree with lots of the statements above....Rob Halford is always a great interview. He is always insightful and has many great stories. Plus he plugs lots of newer or lesser known bands too.

 

[Harvester]

I haven't read this thread in days...

Closed.