Overview

• He said he and his partner, Thomas, wed in December last year in a four-person poolside ceremony by a “heavy metal cactus” with an officiant and two close friends.
• Halford noted Thomas, an Alabaman with an extremely conservative background, had long declined to marry before proposing the idea during a night walk, prompting Halford to quickly call a pastor.
• He described the United States as “incredibly homophobic” and cited fans telling him, “I love Judas Priest, but I’m not gay,” as an example of attitudes that persist.
• He added that audiences at Judas Priest headline shows largely show full acceptance and focus on the band’s music rather than his sexuality.
• Reports place his comments within his long public journey since coming out on MTV in 1998 and during Judas Priest’s current North American tour with Alice Cooper, with some outlets noting recent U.S. rollbacks affecting LGBTQ+ protections.