Screaming for Inclusivity

Body inclusivity has a hot rockin' ally: Rob Halford.

The Judas Priest singer was a recent guest on the U.K. -based podcast, "A Gay and a NonGay." When asked for advice regarding gay people who may not fit into the prototypes set up within the community, Halford says there needs to be more body inclusivity not just in the gay community, but in society (as quoted by Blabbermouth)

"I think that the whole body shaming and imaging is just as prevalent in the straight world as it is in the gay world. You always have to have somebody with a six-pack on [on the cover of] a gay mag, and that's wrong," says Halford. "You always have to have some beautiful, slim, gorgeous woman on [the cover of] a straight magazine or whatever. It's just mad that we're still at that place. Just push by that, 'cause it's fluff — it really is fluff. It has no relevance whatsoever.

"If you're a person who wants to keep fit — and I've got some really fit straight friends — I admire that; I admire your conviction to doing these great things for yourself and for your body, because it does have a knock-on effect. But in terms of the level of it being superficial and not really, really being important, yeah, we need to look at that differently. And over the years, it's gotten a little better, for girls who are plus size, for example, and there's a whole broader acceptance, as there should be.

"Look, this is your body. Be proud of it. Be proud of the way you look, the way you are, 'cause you're a beautiful person. It's not what the outside is about; it's the inside that matters — [what you have] in your heart and in your mind."

Halford was on the podcast to promote his autobiography, Confess. Listen to the podcast in full here.