Daniel2 Posted March 24, 2014 Posted March 24, 2014 From Rolling Stone magazine:Tyler Glenn — lead singer for Provo, Utah New Wave-pop quartet Neon Trees and a Mormon his entire life — reveals he is gay in the new issue of Rolling Stone (on stands Friday, March 28th). "I've always felt like I'm an open book, and yet obviously I haven't been completely," he tells RS' Caryn Ganz. But he is now: Glenn speaks candidly about his first gay experiences, his band's reaction to his coming out and his complicated relationship with his conservative religion in our new story.Glenn says he's known he was gay since he was a young child, but kept his sexuality a secret — until now. "I had my crushes on guys throughout high school, but it was never an overwhelming thing until my twenties," he admits. "Then I'd be dating girls and in love with my straight friend and it was the worst feeling in the world." (Read the full feature on RollingStone.com tomorrow, March 25th)."We were always taught, and I hate this word, 'tolerance,'" he says, regarding his church's stance on homosexuality, which is notoriously fraught. "The only time that felt different was when the Prop 8 thing came up," he says, referring to when the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spent an estimated $22 million fighting same-sex marriage in California in 2008.Glenn started to tell close friends and family members his big news in October 2013, as he was finishing up writing songs for Neon Trees' upcoming third LP, Pop Psychology, many of which address his years in the closet. Today, he's inspired by the variety of men and women from all corners of pop culture who have been coming out publically, especially athletes facing high stakes."I really love all of the sports figures that are coming out recently," he says. "I appreciated Michael Sam was like, 'I want to be able to go to the movies and hold hands with my boyfriend.' Even hearing him say 'boyfriend,' I was just like, that's cool."Read the full story for reaction from Glenn's Neon Trees bandmates and his mother, plus Glenn's take on straight artists acting as the gay community's spokespeople and his explanation of the events that led to his big coming out.Read more: http://m.rollingstone.com/music/news/neon-trees-tyler-glenn-comes-out-as-gay-in-rolling-stone-20140324#ixzz2wuDdPhjXTweeted Glenn this afternoon:"Yes. I am a happy and healthy Mormon gay pop star. I don't know what it all means, but I'm ok with it. "
mtomm Posted March 25, 2014 Posted March 25, 2014 Happen to know Tyler. I'm sure this both stressful and a relief . I wish him well and a great future.
Storm Rider Posted March 25, 2014 Posted March 25, 2014 I am not very supportive of this type of media attention. We have a large number of members who are gay, but never go out of their way to carry their sexuality on their shoulder. The quiet members that are often overlooked; the members that suffer in silence from depression to those with a wide range of other burdens that weigh them down, these are the people that concern me and are often in my prayers. We simply can never know the heart of our community members (inside and outside of the Church), but I believe we all would be surprised at the degree of suffering people go through. Announcing to the world or sharing personal issues is not easy and many feel it is unhelpful to dwell on them. However, while they may quietly carry their burden and even remain in a state of constant pleading with the Lord, I hope that we as disciples of Christ can sense their anguish and lend a hand, a smile, a kind word to those around us. What a specific burden is is meaningless to me; the fact that they carry it with as much help as I can provide is important.
Mola Ram Suda Ram Posted March 25, 2014 Posted March 25, 2014 Hey guys, I am not a pop star nor am I gay but I am Mormon. Look over here. Look at me. I was even in a band once.
mtomm Posted March 25, 2014 Posted March 25, 2014 Hey guys, I am not a pop star nor am I gay but I am Mormon. Look over here. Look at me. I was even in a band once. And yet we get an official announcement of David Archuletta finishing his mission. LOOK AT ME! http://www.mormonnewsroom.ph/article/david-archuleta-announces-his-return-from-chile-mission
mtomm Posted March 25, 2014 Posted March 25, 2014 Oh, and I would like to point out that Tyler and all the band members of Neon Trees befriended by daughter-in-law and were very instrumental in her becoming a member of the Church. They gave her her first Book of Mormon and CTR ring. You could say that they, Tyler in particular, have impacted my family quite significantly (and I'm thinking for the better, she soon will make me a grandma for the first time.)
BookofMormonLuvr Posted March 25, 2014 Posted March 25, 2014 And yet we get an official announcement of David Archuletta finishing his mission. LOOK AT ME! http://www.mormonnewsroom.ph/article/david-archuleta-announces-his-return-from-chile-mission I loved watching him realize as he trying to translate from Spanish to English in his head that "I'm back home." was the only thing he was going to get out semi-coherently. I remember those first few days after getting home from Argentina, trying to get English back.
california boy Posted March 25, 2014 Posted March 25, 2014 From Rolling Stone magazine:Tweeted Glenn this afternoon:"Yes. I am a happy and healthy Mormon gay pop star. I don't know what it all means, but I'm ok with it. " There are many gay men and women who happen to be Mormon. I have met a lot of gay Mormons. Each one of them have a story to tell about how they have dealt with being both gay and Mormon. Like Tyler Glenn, most are happy and well adjusted. And like Tyler, don't always know what it all means.
The Nehor Posted March 25, 2014 Posted March 25, 2014 How come bi Mormons like me are overlooked? When do I get my 15 minutes of fame?
strappinglad Posted March 26, 2014 Posted March 26, 2014 Sorry Nehor, there are 40+ types to come out first; please be patient and tolerant. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology-science/technology/facebook-gender-option-facebooks-new-3144022
BCSpace Posted March 26, 2014 Posted March 26, 2014 Actually, being gay is far from healthy. It's one of the most risky of the lifestyle choices.
The Nehor Posted March 26, 2014 Posted March 26, 2014 Actually, being gay is far from healthy. It's one of the most risky of the lifestyle choices. Based on history I would say the most risky lifestyle choice is being a Prophet of God. Should we avoid that too?
Buzzard Posted March 26, 2014 Posted March 26, 2014 Based on history I would say the most risky lifestyle choice is being a Prophet of God. Should we avoid that too? I doubt the majority of us are at risk for that "lifestyle". I feel pretty safe, anyway.
Gray Posted March 27, 2014 Posted March 27, 2014 Actually, being gay is far from healthy. It's one of the most risky of the lifestyle choices. Some folks make it that way for them, anyway
The Nehor Posted March 27, 2014 Posted March 27, 2014 Some folks make it that way for them, anywayIt is unfair to blame others when a lot of this is due to promiscuity.
Gray Posted March 27, 2014 Posted March 27, 2014 It is unfair to blame others when a lot of this is due to promiscuity. There are preventable social factors that contribute to promiscuity, but I wasn't actually thinking of STDs But if we're talking STDs, I believe gay women get fewer of them than straight people.
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