With Pride Month coming to an end, we’re celebrating queer artists and bands killing it in alt and heavy scenes, from Lynn Gunn to Hevenshe and more.
Alternative music has always been a refuge for outsiders, and in 2025, queer artists are claiming that space more proudly than ever. With Pride Month coming to an end, here’s a look at some of our favourite LGBTQIA+ artists past and present who have pushed alternative and heavy music forward, refused to hide who they are, and inspired new generations of fans to live unapologetically.
This is a non-exhaustive list of the many amazing queer artists in the scene – from now and then – but represents some of Blunt’s favourites. We’d love to hear your favourites, too!
Rob Halford (Judas Priest)
As the iconic voice of Judas Priest, Rob Halford stands tall as one of the most influential gay figures in metal. Coming out publicly in 1998, Halford has often said it was the most liberating decision of his life, opening the door for countless LGBTQIA+ fans and musicians to feel seen in heavy music. His leather-clad persona helped shape metal’s aesthetic, proving that queer identity and metal’s machismo aren’t mutually exclusive.
Jenna McDougall (Hevenshe, Tonight Alive)
Hevenshe (McDougall) is fresh off the back of curating Sydney’s ‘A Celebration of Femmes and Thems‘ this month, alongside her newest track ‘Floor Bed’ – a raw, grunge-laced anthem filled with queer joy.
Will Gould (Creeper)
Creeper’s vampiric punk-goth frontman Will Gould has spoken candidly about his bisexuality in interviews, saying in Metal Hammer: “I’m bisexual, but for the first half of my life, I wasn’t really open about it. Over the course of doing a band, it’s allowed me to become more open.” Creeper’s theatrical sound and flamboyant aesthetic have made them a beacon for queer punks everywhere.
Meet Me at the Altar
Meet Me at the Altar are breathing new life into pop-punk with their explosive riffs, infectious hooks, and proud queer representation. Drummer Ada Juarez, who identifies as queer, has been vocal about creating a space where people of color and LGBTQIA+ fans see themselves reflected in the genre. As an all-women-of-color band, Meet Me at the Altar’s rise proves pop-punk can be inclusive, empowering, and anything but stale.
Marissa Paternoster (Screaming Females)
Marissa Paternoster’s guitar heroics have long made Screaming Females a must-listen for punk fans, but she’s also been an icon for queer visibility. Paternoster, who is openly gay, has spoken about how coming out in the DIY punk scene helped her find acceptance.
Lynn Gunn (PVRIS)
PVRIS frontwoman Lynn Gunn has been an outspoken force for queer representation since the band’s debut. Gunn, who identifies as gay, wrote a love letter to the queer community for Billboard, saying “I never realized how impactful something as simple as being my authentic self and true to my heart would be for thousands of others out there.”
Sleater-Kinney
Formed in Olympia’s riot grrrl scene, Sleater-Kinney became legends of punk and indie rock with their fierce, guitar-driven sound and unapologetically queer perspective. Guitarist-vocalists Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein have both identified as queer, and their music has often explored gender, sexuality, and power dynamics with biting wit. Albums like Dig Me Out and The Woods are essential listening, cementing Sleater-Kinney as trailblazers who made space for queer voices in alternative music.
Laura Jane Grace (Against Me!)
No list of queer heavy artists would be complete without Laura Jane Grace. Coming out as transgender in 2012, the Against Me! leader’s raw, politically charged punk has tackled gender dysphoria, trans rights, and personal struggles head-on. Songs like ‘Transgender Dysphoria Blues’ turned her own transition into an anthem for trans punks everywhere.
Dani Miller (Surfbort)
Surfbort’s Dani Miller brings feral punk energy to every show, and she’s never shied away from sharing her identity (in her own words: “queer as fuck”) and support for queer communities. Miller’s unfiltered lyrics and interviews have made Surfbort’s chaotic garage-punk a magnet for queer misfits.
The alternative and heavy scenes are richer, more honest, and more diverse because of these artists. They’re proof that queerness belongs in the pit, on the stage, and at the heart of every genre. Here’s to them – and to every queer kid blasting their songs in their bedroom.
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