Sharleen Spiteri has said she receives ‘homophobic abuse’ despite not being gay, as she spoke out on being judged for how she looks. 

Speaking at the Metro Pride Awards on Wednesday, the Texas singer, 57, who is married to chef Bryn Williams, 47, discussed the ‘out of order’ comments. 

Sharleen has detailed in the past how music industry bosses told her to change the way she looks, and said people ᴀssume she is a lesbian because she has short hair. 

She told the Metro: ‘A lot of the homophobic comments that are made – which is a really strange and funny thing – is that they are normally towards me.

‘And I’m like, “Well, I’m not. But what does it matter? I’m not.” To me, it is a completely out of order comment to actually make to somebody. What, you’re going to judge me based on what you think my Sєxuality is?

Sharleen explained that people guess her Sєxuality from the way she dresses and admitted it’s ‘f***ing crazy.’

Sharleen Spiteri has said she receives ‘homophobic abuse’ despite not being gay, as she spoke out on being judged for how she looks (pictured at Glastonbury in 2023)

Speaking at the Metro Pride Awards on Wednesday (pictured), the Texas singer, 57, who is married to chef Bryn Williams, 47, discussed the ‘out of order’ comments

The singer added: ‘You get people saying really stupid things like, “Oh yeah, you have short hair.” Like, crazy s**t. “Oh, you must be a lesbian. You’ve got short hair.” I’m like, “Are you f***ing crazy? You know? Like, are you f***ing insane?” Like, what is that comment?’

Sharleen was told by music industry bosses to change the way she looks when she first got signed to a record label.

The singer admitted she has ‘never had a great relationship with the music industry’ in an interview in April. 

Sharleen founded Texas while working as a hairdresser in Glasgow, with the band finding quick success with their debut single I Don’t Want A Lover.

But when she got her big break, she found herself being told by industry executives that she looked like a ‘boy’ and a ‘lesbian’. 

Speaking on the I Never Thought It Would Happen podcast with Chris Difford, Sharleen said: ‘From the day I got signed, the MD in my record company at Mercury Records at that point, I remember he referred to be as the “dodgy boiler. What’s the dodgy boiler all about?” 

‘I was 18 years old and I was like, “you motherf****r.” That was my entrance into the music industry. It actually worked really well for me because it gave me the balls and the guts to go, no. I like to think I’m quite fair. 

‘I remember they were like, “you dress like a boy.” For years it was like, “she must be a lesbian.” Why? Because you wear short hair and big boots.’

She told the Metro : ‘A lot of the homophobic comments that are made – which is a really strange and funny thing – is that they are normally towards me. ‘And I’m like, “Well, I’m not”‘

Sharleen has been married to Bryn since 2018 (pictured in 2019)

Texas, which was founded in 1986, is currently made up of Sharleen, Johnny McElhone, Ally McErlaine, Eddie Campbell, Tony McGovern and Cat Myers (pictured with Texas in 1989 with Johnny McElhone, Ally McErlaine, and Stuart Kerr)

Sharleen feels many of the atтιтudes that were around when she was in her late teens are still present but just more ‘hidden’ now.

She said: ‘They still do say that s**t but it’s just hidden really well. People say it’s better now, it’s not, it’s just not right in front of your face. It’s hidden so well.’ 

Texas, which was founded in 1986, is currently made up of Sharleen, Johnny McElhone, Ally McErlaine, Eddie Campbell, Tony McGovern and Cat Myers. 

Before soaring to fame in rock band Texas, Sharleen worked at the Irvine Rusk salon in Glasgow.