Rob Halford Lashes Out at Anti-Gay Bullies

Heavy metal icon Rob Halford has been openly gay for years but he knows it's still a struggle for many younger people to come out and recently gave his thoughts on gay bullying.

The front-man for Judas Priest spoke with About.com and talked about the recent high amounts of suicides from gay teenagers and what he thinks the solution is on the very evident problem.

"You have all this sexting going on, and cyberbullying going on. It's absolutely heartbreaking when people are driven to the point where they are taking their own lives. I'm pleased that talented people like Ellen Degeneres and Neil Patrick Harris are speaking out. They are far more articulate than I am.

"Don't feel alone. There's a way we can help each other get through these types of difficulties," said Halford.

Halford is about to embark on a tour with Ozzy in the U.S. this fall and winter to support his new solo album, Made of Metal. When asked if he'll be playing strictly solo material, he said that his set list will be a good mix of everything he's done during his solo career, including cuts from the new album and classic Priest tunes as well.

"Yes, we'll play a couple of Priest songs, or else the fans would bop me off the stage," said Halford.