Of all the music fandoms I have interacted with over the years, metalheads have consistently been the best people to hang out with. There is a beauty to be had in a mosh pit that, while looking like disorganized violent chaos to an outsider, makes one feel alive and dare I say, human.
I agree and would say the same about punks as well. Contrary to popular belief, most are pretty easy going, "accepting" and "open-minded". Both groups know they are not viewed positively by society at large and in my experience tend to be fairly non-judgmental of others. I would highly recommend the documentaries about metal by Sam Dunn and Scot McFayden. Such as their first documentary named Metal: A Headbanger's Journey.
We've had this conversation before, but I'll still maintain that the most judgemental and least open-minded group are the hippies. By far.
But has it always been this way? I grew up in Berkeley and other places around San Francisco. It always seemed as if the older hippies (40+) were the most kind, interesting people I met. I wonder if that's a generational thing or an aging maturity.