For multiple years, I have wanted to make a video that is a homage to this metal community: To be authentic and speak to you all one-on-one in a way that gets across some of my opinions of things and hopefully share my story to help others. All I've ever wanted to do is spread a message of love and acceptance in a community built for outcasts. We are all in this together and no matter who or what you are, I will always respect and care for and support you, agree or disagree. This one was a deep one and difficult one to produce and I've stopped myself multiple times over...so I hope this reaches the right people. We're all swimming around in the same fish bowl at the end of the day. Never deny yourself who you are for the comfort of someone else.

metalheads are scared of change. They hate it with a burning passion. Im hoping you're doing ok. Massive respect for releasing this vid

This was an incredibly powerful and brave video. It breaks my heart hearing how shakey your voice got in the end, but i genuinely get it. Hearing your story, what youve been through- what you're currently going through, even, its truly incredible how strong youve been, despite everything. I agree so much, that- not even just in communities like this, but in a lot of places, there's just so much surrounding this stigmatized concept of how people should or shouldnt be, and with media being such a corrupting force, its undoubtedly something that often gets overlooked when discussions do happen. If anything, and I know you said it doesn’t seem possible for you, but i truly think you will find that light in the darkness that currently surrounds you, and that you will find happiness in yourself again. Youre a brave soul, and all i ever want to see for you is happiness and comfort, knowing that you can overcome and conquer those feelings and be the you that you were meant to be.

Bisexual metalhead here, respect for you it takes a lot of strength

Your story really hits home with me. Coming out to myself a few years ago was one of the scariest and hardest things I've ever had to do, but it was really worth it. I had all these fears that I'd be seen as some kind of freak but, with one or two exceptions, everyone in my life was extremely kind and accepting, and I wish I could tell me from years ago that it's gonna be fine. That being said, things are getting scary in the world for trans people, and I'm finding it pretty hard to avoid being an activist these days. My identity is political whether I want it to be or not, and it may be exhausting (for myself & for others) but I can't just ignore that. Good luck with everything & happy pride

You are often wise beyond your years. I'm so sorry that you've been through so much and feel you have to mask some aspects of yourself. I have no words of advice as our life experiences are very different, but I will say that given the right circumstances I hope you can thrive and blossom. I could see how emotional you were getting in this video. Happy pride month and lots of love. x

Thank you so much for doing this video, it brought me so much joy. I can't tell you how many "Alpha Dudes" in the metal scene go at me with poser comments, after they found out I'm a trans girl, I'm instantly invalid. And i tried to act like it didn't get to me, but there was that thought always in the back of my head. I've been openly trans for a year, and I've loved all the support Ive gotten. So in conclusion on this mini essay I wrote that I don't know where it's going, thanks for making this

being a trans black metal fan is so hard lol. yes there's the RABM scene but the fact that it exists just to counter the NSBM scene really upsets me. I've been a metalhead since I was 13 and lord I wish that this community was half as progressive as they say they are happy pride 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈

I love this. I also love that, at the time I’m writing this, there has only been one negative comment and you handled it with grace. Coming out was the best decision I ever made, and also the most difficult one. That was damn near 15 years ago now. I hope that you are able to find the love and support that you deserve, thank you for being brave enough to post this video. ❤

Thank you so much for doing this video. I’m around twice your age and, as a bisexual/pansexual guy with some gender fluidity (and also a massive lover of metal, punk, underground music, etc), I related to sooooo much about so many things you said here.

I'm really sorry to hear about all the though shit you've had to endure. I sincerely hope you find more happiness and become more confident in yourself because you really deserve it. It must have been really hard to put out this video but it was very powerful! ❤

Thank You for this video. I can really relate to not being super enthusiastic about pride month. I just wanna be myself all the time and enjoy the music and community. I have not been in the metalhead community for long but it’s already so important to me. I hope when I get more involved and start going to concerts I will meet people I can feel safe around to have a good time. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

“I would rather be completely alone than have to put up a facade around every single person” Deep man, and also heavily related to black metal philosophy

Very interesting, hope you will do better in the future and that you can stop chaining yourself. There is no true need to be ashamed of who you are. And I know it’s not easy, I hope you get through this.

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH Y'ALL🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🪕🤘🎷✌️also i hope you are doing better the metal tempest

When will there be a Pride parade lead by Rob Halford? That dude is still a legend, cool essay though, very powerful

This was really great about the experience of the heavy metal community that is not as much is shared. Also, people can say what they can say that won't get them in trouble and try to hirt us as much as possible as they can. Be you don't let anyone hurt you and share and spread the greater opportunity to share a better way to help the community and keep doing what you do, and people will either enjoy or not enjoy. I enjoyed what you put out and keep doing what you do.

Sweet ill listen to this in the morning. Gotta drive from LA to Phoenix. Hope ur well Tempest. 👊

I feel so sorry for you. It would suck to have to deal with these things. I may be straight but I feel for you. All my support and love for the lgbtq community! Everyone should be able to have basic rights and think positively of themselves imo.

Much love from Finland, I have been watching your content for the past months and I enjoy it a lot. Sorry to hear about your struggles, I hope things can improve but I know its very hard when things have been rough for such a long time. Either way I hope you will continue making youtube videos, I will always watch when they come out ❤

So much of what you said resonated with me in ways I could only ever do with myself. Thank you so much for speaking, I can assure you that your message will not be drowned out in the sea of hatred. I truly wish you the best and hope you find your peace one day.

Get your bag, sis. As someone who has been so confused as to why certain bands are excluded from genres, this video is a sigh of relief.

The hardcore scene has done a 180 over the pandemic and it's fucked.

Great video man. More people need to make raw videos about pride.

I’m sure you’ll probably get hundreds of thank you comments, but in all seriousness thank you for making this videos. Just trying to type this, I’m having problems trying to formulate the sentences. Hearing you talk about yourself is kinda strange considering how much of what you said is applicable to myself as well. I only just this year came out as non gender conforming at age 25. I honest thought I’d feel an overwhelming sense of relief, but I’ve suppressed myself for so long that I don’t exactly know how to feel now.

Love you sis please keep posting!! This has moved me to fight even harder, knowing people are still struggling. To be honest, I kind of thought this was something we had moved past, but clearly it isn’t.!! It’s kind of horrifying, but let’s keep pushing for change.

It’s scary to be on the bleeding edge man, but let’s do it together

Dude, I’m literally sorry for commenting so much but your point about Gaahl is so perfect… I’m really so sorry that y’all have had to deal with this for so long. it’s a really extremely ugly aspect of the culture that has yet to be ironed out.

I’m not sure if you’re even reading comments on this one; I could absolutely see you tuning the discourse on the video where you cracked the door a bit after facing bigotry even when you’re guarded, but I couldn’t sit through that and not say something nice because maybe one day when you really need it you’ll see it. I just found your channel yesterday, so I know next to nothing about you besides your irreverent sense of humor about the genres you love makes for some fun videos and a sense of where our musical tastes overlap or differ, but for what one random dude on the internet’s thoughts are worth, whatever your gender and/or sexuality is, I think you’re swell, and for that matter, having dealt with the hate you’ve gotten and persisting anyway means that you’re strong, strong in a way you shouldn’t have to be, but still it speaks to your strength. Anyway, I’m just some rando on the interweb, but FWIW, I think you’re swell, and I hope you get the chance to catch a bit of pride (both the event and the feeling).

11:36 14:36 I can’t pretend to understand exactly what you’re going through homie, but I can understand being damn frustrated with dogmatic adherence to masculine CRAP. Screw those guys man. You kill it with your vids do not listen to those bad guys!!!

Just seeing this video...I'm sorry. Please know that we love you and appreciate you too.

I've watched your videos this is by far the best one. You said alot in the roughly 30mins that you recorded and I would like to extend a hand of friendship to you. There are something I would like to respond to that you brought up. I have told many people including my 20yr daughter that I can't imagine how difficult it is to be a kid, teenager, and young adult right now. Don't get me wrong there were tough things to navigate through when I was a teenager and young adult back in the 90s. I can't imagine how difficult life is for your generation and how much harder it is for LGBTQ persons to navigate through a majority of exceptance but still with people who want to continue with the oppression. I understand and emphasize with not knowing your journey or any other LGBTQ persons struggle. Most would think that I would have no concept of struggle being a 47yr old heterosexual white man, however I have always been the black sheep in my family, I have personallity traits that can be difficult for others to deal with, my introversion gets in the way of all my relationships, and I am a metalhead. Been a metalhead since conception. You definitely have faced a harsh world along with the rest of genZ. You mentioned you have deep seeded issues with trust so I get why you didn't express your discontent with the metal community. There are a lot of metal fans who are pieces of shit, the gatekeepers, elitist, bullies, trolls, and others who do everything possible to exclude others. I believe these people are in every community but I understand how hypocritical it comes off as in the metalverse. As a whole we like to boast of total inclusion. I think we have grown since the 80s into a better community and as a segment of society who once upon a time shunned us. Even myself and my views have evolved as I have aged. So I ask that you please try to take into consideration to don't lump the whole picture into one frame. I would listen to your story, issues, dissatisfaction with the world and those within it. I'm sure others would too. If you don't feel respected, visible, or included all I can say is you are. Through out this video you mentioned that some vile shit has been left in the comments of your previous uploaded material and felt you were alone and eluded to no one having your back. To this I can tell you I would have your back. Nobody deserves to be slandered or ridiculed for who they are or what they believe in, who they sleep with, what bands they listen to, or content they watch as long as no victimization occurs and is not a crime to view such material. It's one of those things that makes this country we live in such a great place. No one is going to kill you for those things except for those people who don't share the same ideals and principles this country and or constitution describes and should adhere too. You are you. Your experiences have taught you about what you need to do to keep you safe. One bit of advise I want to offer to you is take a chance. Happiness in life can only be obtained by being yourself and to live to the fullest and to be the best possible you, you will need to put some level of trust upon others to communicate how you are feeling. If you are looking to exercise the demons that dwell within us all by putting it all out via your platform on KZfaq to the metal community as a whole, you will need to trust that some of us will have your back and to help defend you from the pieces of shit. Take a chance and be your true self. You said that you hide your true self because of how others would think of you. You have to not be afraid to be your self and you seem to already know what the consequences are for that. It is fucked up to have to live with knowing that who you really are carries prejudices from people who are complete strangers to you, but it's either find solice in knowing who you are and keep that to yourself or if you are tired with doing that as you seem to be you need to put faith and trust into your community that they will come and stand by your side when opposition wants to drag you down and with those who would rally around you, reaching a point of not giving a fuck about what anybody says can start to be achieved. Once you can express your true self the fears and anxieties that feel like skin around you can begin to shed.

We love you ❤

fuck the haters i love ur vids metal tempest

Frankly, my only criteria for how i see someone is: A. How you are as a person B. How political you are (hopefully not) C. If you’re a radical vegan, not by dietary restriction (if you are, fuck you) Other than that, i couldn’t give a shit about sexuality, race or religion. This is coming from someone raised in a dark red (not racist or hateful) house who is probably center right. You specifically are a good person, you don’t get political and you don’t promote the “You’re a murderer for eating animals” bullshit, so I like you.

"Side by side To eternity and beyond Side by side As we crush homophobia"

I hope one day you can feel it. For me, I'm an well over 50 demi pan trans woman of Jewish ancestry. I was a US Marine, I've lived around the world, when I got out of the Marines in 1992 I became a Hard-core Graver (Gothic Industrial Raver) I've been to hundreds of Metal, Punk, Gothic, and Industrial concerts, by most of the A-Listers of those genres. I've been more or less out as Trans before I even knew the word. aka Fem Goth. Started HRT for my goth look. I had a weird egg crack. This said, I've never really been in any LGBTQAI+ community until the age of reddit. (Which is how I found your channel, saw a post you made. You gave few clues, and no links, but you were easy to figure out.) So yeah, I'm kind of in the same boat, although the Goth community has always been kind of openly queer or queer adjacent. Honestly, ban the haters, and just be the real you, there is a lot more of us than the haters, just because they are loud, and just because they have the Republicans wrapped around their demented fingers doesn't mean you should hide. Also I have always kind of hated the Democrats, but I really don't see any politics that represents America as I believe in it. My two mottoes: Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Be true to thine own-self, and harm none.

Great video Tempest. Powerful stuff. I hope you got some catharsis out of it. I can relate to it more than there's time to write. I'm 42, been resisting the urge to off myself since age 13. Only reason I haven't is cuz I knew it'd kill Mom. I created a hard shell around myself to keep the external pain away, but all it did was keep the internal pain locked in. It led to a few nervous breakdowns. So instead i adopted a theory: an Oak tree is strong but brittle. Strong enough wind will eventually cause it to break, as it did me. So instead, I am now a blade of grass. I bend, but never break. The daily struggles continue, but this mindset seems to help. Hit me up if u ever gotta talk. Keep up the great work dude. 🤘🥸🤘 👊

As a transfeminine metal artist, I am so glad you made this video. I have noticed such a lack of safe spaces within the metal community. I always feel like there is a threat of blatant hatred for lgbt people. I’m so glad there are communities where we are accepted. When I saw your pride flag on the wall in a video, I finally felt like I had found a safe space. Thank you for being accepting of us. There need to be more safe spaces, an I’ve been wanting to make my music a safe space for other queer folks. I want safety to exist for queer folks within the metal community, and I want to do my part to change that. Thank you for doing this. It genuinely makes me feel so much safer. Thank you so much, truly. This was something terrifying to discuss. I want to discuss more LGBT topics on my channel and in my music, but I am scared of the backlash I could receive. This helps with that a bit. It is good to know there are people who understand and accept this.

I thought you said that you'd never get into this. I don't mind you getting into it, but why did you change your mind? Also, if you want to get into metal, you need to have a thick skin. Freedom of speech means people are going to get shit on and be offended sometimes. You can never know what people are thinking and you cannot control that. Control your reactions because that is all you can do. If you want to be alternative (this goes for metalhead or homo), you will deal with backlash. That is life. The good news is that we get stronger with time. Gender non-conformity normally comes from trauma, and don't confuse acceptance of identity with worth as a human being. This space of talking about privilege, bigotry, hate crime, and hardship is demoralizing and unhelpful. Be yourself, stop giving a fuck what other people think, and allow people to disagree with you. When you are a public figure you will get people who will tear you apart and dislike you for what you may perceive to be stupid reasons. People will quickly find the things you hate most about yourself and they will harp on about that as much as possible. You and I have spoken before so you may remember that I disagree with the way you present yourself, but at the end of the day, I am still here and I am not here to bring you down. The people who do shit on you are doing it for their own reasons, it isn't about you. Do not rely on others, especially strangers for your sense of self-worth, validation, or belonging. Like the things you like unapologetically and if it happens to rub people like me the wrong way, choose whether or not that means anything to you at all. Life is about costs and benefits. What the community is intended to be is subjective, the sooner you do away with your expectations, the happier you will be. Stop looking at things from the perspective of how they ought to be, and start looking at them as what they are. While it is true that you are worthy as you are, you should also maximize the things that make you eudaimonically happy, confront your shadow, and self-improve. All of our rights are under threat by different groups for an unimaginable amount of retarded reasons. The world is imperfect and there will always be people who want to take your rights away regardless of what you identify as. The thing your friend said to you at around 26:00 is fucking terrible by the way. That is performative empathy and it is disgusting. We all deal with desires that are not met, we all get disillusioned, we all have shit in our lives that is fucking hard but, as cliché as it sounds, you are not alone, you are meant to be here, and your strength is a virtue. I know much of what I have said you have already heard before, but I hope there was something there that helps you in some way. I appreciate your insistence on open dialogue and expression.

Come on, if you can't respect yourself, there will be a reason for it and kinda funny to expect others to do better than you, and btw it doesn't matter if you chose or chose not to be whatever you "identify" as, people just are not born equal and if you're literally unable to be what you desire, probably sucks to be you