Halford en The Advocate II

Why are you coming out now?
I really dwelled on it so long. What am I gonna gain? What am I gonna lose? I think it's true, when you become successful in the music world, you probably go more in the closet. You get under the rug in the closet because of the phobia that still exists in rock music. You could lose a record deal, a fan base. It's really difficult for any musician to come out.

And particularly in this genre of music, which you helped to create.
Yeah. Had I considered coming out five years ago, it would've been very difficult. But right now I'm experiencing the same emotions that my friends have told me they felt when they came out: this great clarity and this great peace. There have been no repercussions, no hate mail. I think people have had so many good times with my music that my coming-out is easier for them to accept. It's like, "Well, look at the great music, look at the great shows--does it really matter?"

How did you hide your homosexuality from Judas Priest all those years?
Everybody in Priest always had an awareness that I was gay.

What? Priest knew you were gay.?
Yeah, they knew because the way I started with Priest was through my sister, who was dating the bass player, Ian Hill. She told Ian of my singing abilities and, I guess, about me.

How amazing that they weren't afraid to have a gay man lead their band.
I never experienced homophobia from anybody in Priest. I think that if I'd sensed that they had a problem with it, I would not have joined the band--even though obviously it was the best thing that ever happened to me.

I used to contact your press people about doing an interview with you for The Advocate. Did you know about it?
Oh, there could've been things going on that I wasn't aware of: calls to management, calls to the label, people saying we want to talk about Rob's sexuality. But Priest never got involved in social-political discussions.

Did you ever pretend to have girlfriends?
No, I never did that. I never went to a record-release party with a blond on my arm or that kind of stuff. I never felt that I was walking around creating a smoke screen.

From my own experiences traveling with metal bands on tour buses as a journalist, I remember that often a band member would fall in love with a girl and bring her on the road.
That's exactly what I did.

With a boy?
Yes. Absolutely. That's exactly what I did. The guy I've had a relationship with now for the last three years will be going out on the road with me on this current tour--although we've gone beyond the sexual thing now; we're just platonic friends. But we live together, and we don't want to really let each other go. I've had only a handful of serious relationships. Fortunately, I could to take these individuals on the road.

When rock magazines interviewed you on the road, did you hide your male companions?

You mean, "You better stay in the room and don't show your face until the interviewer is gone"? Naw, but it wasn't a brash act of "Hey, check this out about my boyfriend on the road with me." It was the typical Elton John thing. You know, Elton's lover is with him now on the road taking care of him. You're not so lonely with all those straight rock people around you, not knowing you're gay.

Resumen Pegamin:

• Es jodido arriesgar tu éxito por decir que eres gay.
• La gente se lo tomo bien.
• Los Judas siempre supieron que era homosexual y nunca tuvieron ningún problema con ello.
• Me llevaba a mi chico de gira.