LGBTQ+ Band Members For Pride Month

5. Doug Pinnick - Kings X

Michael Stipe REM
Goongunther / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

The band Kings X had been labelled a Christian band, which was something the band didn't really like, so in true rock n' roll style Pinnick came out as gay 1998 during an interview for a Christian magazine knowing that homosexuality wasn't altogether accepted in Christianity back in the 1990's.

Whilst some christian shops stopped selling the band's music, Pinnick's coming out was met mostly with love from industry people, fans and especially from his two other band members who reassured him they loved him regardless. However, not everyone had a good reaction with a former guitarist and band manager leaving the band because of Pinnick's sexuality.

Forty one years down the road though and the band is still together showing everyone who left that it's really just their loss.

Pinnick has spoken on sexuality a few times and on all sorts of topics from his hatred of outing people to the taught homophobia in the predominately male metal music industry. When asked if gay slurs in music bother him Pinnick spoke about the sad truth that as a black man he has "lived in prejudice all my life" and said "I don't have a problem with words I have a problem with the reason why people say the words".

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Elina Alaveras hasn't written a bio just yet, but if they had... it would appear here.