The Issues' vocalist has a bold voice
What comes to mind when you envision a bisexual rock star? Chances are it’s not a heavily tatted, gold tooth-sporting metalcore band co-frontman. But for Issues vocalist Tyler Carter, that’s the point: no parts of his identity should be defined by narrow labels.
His tattoos prove as much, alternating between styles and messaging to form a colorful collective that only come together through his own perspective. His left forearm features three disparate pieces by Keith Kuzara, owner of Sink or Swim Tattoo in Buffalo, NY: the mask from his favorite movie Nacho Libre, a traditional-style moth and, most importantly, a bold equality symbol that ties his body to his outlook on love. “As a member of the LGBT community, this symbol of equality means a lot to me,” he explains. “I’ve come to understand the complexity of love and have no limitations on sex or identity.”
The Issues vocalist came out as bisexual to the world in 2013. While he was never “in the closet,” as he told Alternative Press, he felt the he could no longer stay silent after a Nashville venue, Rocketown, fired an employee for wearing a shirt in support of gay marriage, causing major controversy in his corner of the music industry.
Fan reactions were overwhelmingly supportive. “I think that there are a lot of LGBT youth in our scene because this scene and this music we come from is one of the biggest and most accepting places there is, especially for teens,” Carter says.
This story is from the August 2016 edition of Inked.
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This story is from the August 2016 edition of Inked.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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