Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ)
Getty On May 23, Caleb Shomo, lead singer of American rock/metalcore band Beartooth, publicly came out in an Instagram post as a “proudly gay man”. The announcement was the first time Shomo took to social media after temporarily deleting his Instagram account in February, shortly after homophobic backlash following the release of the music video for Free.
Shomo’s Instagram post from May 23. Instagram/screenshot In the days following the announcement, there has been blatant homophobia and attempts to twist the story into a tabloid saga, infringing on the privacy of Shomo and his family.
Both function to undermine the personal and cultural significance of Caleb’s emotional post. Shomo is by no means the only member of the LGBTQIA+ community to be in alternative music, but he now stands as one of few high-profile examples.
This moment offers a chance to reflect on whether metal – a music and culture built on rebellion – amplifies or denigrates LGBTQIA+ voices. The initial backlash Beartooth are not newcomers to the world of metal. Shomo originally conceived the project alone in 2012.
The band has since amassed a large following with 1.8 million monthly listeners on Spotify. What else is well known is Shomo’s evolving fashion and performance style, which at first glance makes the backlash to the Free video more of a head-scratcher.
Shomo’s coming out post has comments disabled. Nevertheless, social media is engaged in a tug-of-war between support and slurs. Queer fans are excited to have representation, but opposition is attempting to tear the man down once more.
This is entirely typical of the metal community. In practice, queerness and metal should not be at odds. After all, fans and performers position metal as a music for outcasts and rebellion against societal norms.
But not all metalheads are outcasts for the same reasons. Reflecting on past coming out moments The metal genre has been dominated by cisgender, heterosexual people for most of its history – and this has given room for problematic behaviours to flourish.
Queer performers such as Gorgoroth and Otep Shamaya received death threats from the community after coming out in the 2000s. The hypermasculine aesthetics of the genre have likely intensified this discrimination. Researchers such as Robert Walser have labelled metal as an “arena for gender”, where masculinity is defined, and then imposed on all metalheads.
This creates barriers to participation for LGBTQIA+ individuals, as well as women and people of colour. That said, we have seen a shift taking place in recent years. Bands comprising entirely cisgender and heterosexual men have openly embraced queer fans, including previous tourmates of Beartooth, Motionless In White, who dedicated their 2017 song Voices to the LGBTQIA+ community.
In fact, Shomo’s coming out is reminiscent of that of another gay man in metal. Rob Halford (Judas Priest) divulged what had been dubbed “the worst kept secret in metal” when he came out in a 1998 MTV interview.
Halford maintained his status in the genre after coming out, providing grounds to believe that metal, and by extension other alt music scenes, were accepting of the LGBTQIA+ community. Nonetheless, research I published earlier this year in Metal Music Studies found that homophobia and transphobia are still prevalent, both at metal shows and online.
Trans and trapped at the local level Halford’s coming out did not open the gates to other LGBTQIA+ performers in metal. It did, however, demonstrate that if you are able to establish yourself before coming out, your career is more likely to be safe.
The same will probably be true for Shomo. But for performers attempting to enter the scene as openly LGBTQIA+, it’s a different story, especially when looking at the more marginalised individuals in the community.
Through interviews with Australian trans metal performers, I found that trans-ness functions as its own inhibitor to rising through the ranks in metal. As one interviewee shared: me being a trans woman and probably the vocalist puts me in a big limelight, which is also a bit of an Achilles’ heel for the band getting anywhere.
Despite this, community-driven initiatives such as Transgenre prove there is a thriving community of trans performers dreaming of the success achieved by performers such as Shomo. Unfortunately, they are trapped at the local level, rarely receiving opportunities to represent their local music scenes and trans community.
The parallels between Shomo and Halford, however, illuminate a potential chance for change. That is, Shomo has an opportunity to help shift societal attitudes within alt music, by providing more exposure to other LGBTQIA+ metal performers.
There will undoubtedly now be more queer fans drawn to Beartooth’s music. Shomo – along with the bands that surround him as allies – should consider platforming and elevating more trans and queer performers in the scene, who have been patiently waiting for an opportunity like this.
Tour lineups of global powerhouses are overpopulated by cisgender and heterosexual men. Shomo is now one of a handful of LGBTQIA+ representatives among them. His influence could turn the tide in making rock and metal’s biggest stages reflect the diversity that exists at the local level.
Vik J.
Squires does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Original source: https://analysis1.mil-osi.com/2026/05/27/metal-fans-love-rebels-until-theyre-queer-caleb-shomos-coming-out-exposes-a-deep-hypocrisy/