Rob Halford

The thing about gay people is that until we come out of the closet, we're always protecting other people: 'I can't do this, because it's gonna hurt so-and-so.' We're trying to live the lives of other people, and that's the worst thing you can do.

The battle goes on for me; as a gay man, I shall not be happy until I see equality across the board.

I will always remember the first show I did clean and sober... It was in New Mexico, in Albuquerque. I literally felt elevated, as everything was coming with such clarity.

It's a myth that I received any flak from the metal community over my decision to come out. I have, in fact, received numerous positive responses from fans, as well as e-mails from people who were going through much the same thing. It's horrible to keep something like that secret, and I felt I had to make it public.