The lead singer of one of heavy metal’s most influential bands, Judas Priest, came out of the closet. At the time, the newscasts treated it as a shocking revelation. There were some in the metal community, a vocal minority, who publicly derided the singer and the band, claiming that they’d, never support a faggot.
Like racism and other forms of bigotry, this was to be expected, and can’t be helped. Until someone comes up with a cure for Dumb, it ain’t going away.
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The lead singer of one of heavy metal’s most influential bands, Judas Priest, came out of the closet. At the time, the newscasts treated it as a shocking revelation. There were some in the metal community, a vocal minority, who publicly derided the singer and the band, claiming that they’d, never support a faggot.
Like racism and other forms of bigotry, this was to be expected, and can’t be helped. Until someone comes up with a cure for Dumb, it ain’t going away.
The vast majority of fans didn’t care. They were glad he was happy. More importantly, they knew that his public admission of his sexuality didn’t change who he was — the dynamic front man in one of the most influential metal groups of all time.
When Rob Halford left Judas Priest, the band released a few CDs with Akron native Ripper Owens handling the vocals. First off, let me be blunt: Judas Priest screwed Owens. What they released was a shadow of what they could have, and should have, released with such an amazing singer. The best review of the CD was: Who cares if Halford is straight or gay. If he had been on the CD it wouldn’t have sucked.
The sexuality of a person doesn’t matter. Whether they’re straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, or something in between, the only thing that matters is their character. Don’t repress who you are in an effort to find acceptance. Giving others the power to dictate the terms of your happiness is the surest way to embrace despair.
Be who you are. Be happy with who you are. Do not worry about what others think. History has shown that the most vocal critics tend to be living a life of silent repression.
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