Editing Rob Halford (section)

===Sexuality===
Halford publicly revealed his homosexuality on [[MTV]] in 1998.<ref name="invented" /><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1429870/19980205/halford_rob.jhtml|date=5 February 1998|title=Rob Halford Discusses Sexuality Publicly for the First Time|publisher=[[MTV News]]|access-date=24 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100704043119/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1429870/19980205/halford_rob.jhtml|archive-date=4 July 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> He broke down in tears saying, "It's a wonderful moment when you walk out of the closet. Now I've done that and I've freed myself. It's a great feeling for me to finally let go and make this statement—especially to ''[[The Advocate (magazine)|The Advocate]]'', because this magazine has brought me so much comfort over the years. Obviously this is just a wonderful day for me."<ref name="Wieder">{{cite book|title=[[Celebrity: The Advocate Interviews]]|last=Wieder|first=Judy|year=2001|publisher=Advocate Books|location=New York City|isbn=1-55583-722-0|page=94}}</ref> Halford later explained that he did not have a plan or an agenda when coming in to do his interview with MTV. He mainly spoke about and promoted the ''Voyeurs'' album he made with guitarist [[John 5 (guitarist)|John 5]], when he slipped out his sexuality after being asked a question from the studio's producer. He cited it being "kind of a big leap forward".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://player.fm/series/music-vibes-with-dc-hendrix/interview-rob-halford-of-judas-priest|title=Interview: Rob Halford of Judas Priest|website=player.fm|date=27 November 2019 |access-date=27 November 2019}}</ref>

At the time Halford revealed his sexuality, he was concerned that he would lose his fanbase as a result. He explained that he cannot return to certain places of the world in fear of stoning. He described the 1970s and 1980s as "incredibly difficult", but not counting it as important music-wise. Halford jokingly claimed that he cannot be replaced by a straight man, bringing up late [[Queen (band)|Queen]] vocalist [[Freddie Mercury]], saying that "if Freddie hadn't have been gay, Queen would've been a totally different band. But that's a really important part of my life that I have to get down on paper at some point."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/music/judas-priests-halford-on-firepower-and-fantasy-headed-for-maniacs-in-edmonton-tuesday|author=Griwkowsky, Fish|title=Judas Priest's Halford on Firepower and fantasy headed for "maniacs in Edmonton" Tuesday|work=[[Edmonton Journal]]|access-date=6 June 2019}}</ref>

Halford describes himself as "the stately homo of heavy metal", and said that coming out was accidental but "the greatest thing I could have done for myself". He also explained that he did not do so sooner due to the fear that it was going to be troublesome for him.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/jul/03/judas-priest-rob-halford-quentin-crisp-interview-redeemer-of-souls|title=Judas Priest's Rob Halford: 'I've become the stately homo of heavy metal'|author=Petridis, Alexis|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=3 July 2014|access-date=25 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825105536/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/jul/03/judas-priest-rob-halford-quentin-crisp-interview-redeemer-of-souls|archive-date=25 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

Halford speaks negatively about the discrimination homosexuals still face in some parts of the world. Halford said that after he completed his interview, he began to fear negative reactions, but was quickly inundated with messages of support from colleagues and fans.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/judas-priests-rob-halford-on-his-life-as-gay-man-in-some-parts-of-the-world-people-like-me-get-thrown-off-buildings/|title=Judas Priest's Rob Halford on His Life as Gay Man: 'In Some Parts Of The World, People Like Me Get Thrown Off Buildings'|date=26 August 2017|website=Blabbermouth.net|access-date=26 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170827031316/http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/judas-priests-rob-halford-on-his-life-as-gay-man-in-some-parts-of-the-world-people-like-me-get-thrown-off-buildings/|archive-date=27 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2018, Halford stated that society has not changed as much{{clarifyme|date=March 2025}} as he hoped since his coming out: "You'd think there would have been some kind of change and people would have moved on after such a long time. Now that I'm moving through my [[Pensioner|OAP]] heavy metal years (laughs), I thought a lot of it would be gone by now. And it's a shame. We don't really get to spend a lot of time on this planet together, so there's no point in wasting it being divided."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kerrang.com/the-news/judas-priest-its-2018-and-we-still-talk-about-sexual-orientation-skin-colour-my-religions-better-than-yours/|title=Judas Priest's Rob Halford: "It's 2018 and we still talk about sexual orientation, skin colour, 'my religion's better than yours...'"|work=[[Kerrang!]]|date=8 August 2018 |access-date=8 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808154154/http://www.kerrang.com/the-news/judas-priest-its-2018-and-we-still-talk-about-sexual-orientation-skin-colour-my-religions-better-than-yours/|archive-date=8 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

The subject matter of his lyrics had not changed since his coming out, and he avoided addressing it in Judas Priest's lyrics. However, the song "Raw Deal" from the 1977 album ''Sin After Sin'' speaks about [[Fire Island]] in New York, which was famous in the 1970s and 1980s as a community for gay men. He felt that the lyrics were "just too much", but they were approved by the other members of the band. "But you listen to that song, it really is almost like a coming-out experience for me. And it never really registered. It's only been in recent years that people have picked up on that song," he said.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kcalfm.com/2019/12/04/listen-judas-priests-rob-halford-releases-new-christmas-album/|author=Preston, Nikki|title=(LISTEN) Judas Priest's Rob Halford Releases 'Celestial' Christmas Album|website=[[KCAL-FM]]|access-date=4 December 2019|archive-date=23 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191223212930/https://www.kcalfm.com/2019/12/04/listen-judas-priests-rob-halford-releases-new-christmas-album/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In September 2020, Halford revealed how in 1992 he had a "[[George Michael#Legal troubles|George Michael moment]]" when he was arrested for [[Indecent exposure in the United States|public indecency]] in a men's bathroom commonly used for casual sex in [[Venice Beach, California]]. An officer who was a fan of Judas Priest helped keep the arrest from wide publicity.<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 September 2020 |title=Judas Priest's Rob Halford on public-sex arrest: 'I've f–ked up!' |url=https://nypost.com/2020/09/28/judas-priests-rob-halford-on-public-sex-arrest-ive-f-ked-up/ |access-date=21 October 2022 |website=New York Post |language=en-US}}</ref>

He is currently married to his husband Thomas.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=DiVita |first1=Joe |title=Interview: Rob Halford Dissects Hiding Identity as a Gay Singer |url=https://loudwire.com/judas-priest-rob-halford-confess-book-interview-2020/ |date=29 September 2020 |access-date=23 June 2021 |website=[[Loudwire]]}}</ref>

Halford has previously spoken about the level of acceptance of his sexuality within the metal community, calling it accepting and inclusive.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tonedeaf.thebrag.com/judas-priests-rob-halford-inclusive-metal-community/|title=Judas Priest's Rob Halford loves how 'inclusive' the metal community is|author=Gawne, Holley|date=26 October 2020 |access-date=16 November 2021}}</ref>