Variety: LDS Musician Confronts His Church’s LGBT Stance in New Sundance Documentary

[Calm]

1 hour ago, Amulek said:

Well, it's true that there aren't a lot of famous Mormons in certain genres, but if you are going to talk about the 'music industry' as a whole, then I'm sorry buddy - you've got a long ways to go until you overshadow Gladys Knight. 

For people over a certain age, I suspect.

For those under...I will have to ask my daughter and son if they have heard of her (they have sung her music, nut did they care enough to learn the artist's name?

[Daniel2]

1 hour ago, Calm said:

For people over a certain age, I suspect.

For those under...I will have to ask my daughter and son if they have heard of her (they have sung her music, nut did they care enough to learn the artist's name?

While I think who's "most famous" is debatable (and Ms. Knight definitely wins in several), it also depends on the criteria and demographic being considered... I'm not sure many non-Mormons know Ms. Knight converted to Mormonism or consider her to be 'a famous Mormon,' though.

While Knight might have more 'name recognition' to certain demographic populations, I think a case can certainly be made that Reynolds and his music are far more relevant than Knight is in the current entertainment, social media, and political arenas.

Edited January 23, 2018 by Daniel2

[smac97]

16 hours ago, Scott Lloyd said:

Boy, that’s really garbled. 

Show biz folk should stick to what we pay them to do: sing, dance, play act or play a musical instrument. Most of them don’t do politics well. 

I'm not sure if this Fox News article has been noted.  Some excerpts:

Quote

Imagine Dragons lead singer Dan Reynolds said he hoped a recently released documentary on Mormonism would prompt church leaders to change some of their ways.

Reynolds, who described himself as a “fourth generation Las Vegan raised in a very conservative Mormon family,” and Don Argott, director of “Believer” documentary, told Deadline they hoped the film would open the church leaders' eyes to how they treat LGBT members.

Reynolds said he had planned on attending Brigham Young University, a college owned by the Mormon Church, like his brothers, but spoke to a bishop and things went downhill from there.

Reynolds said he was kicked out of the school after he told the bishop he had sex with a longtime girlfriend.

“That kind of started my story in a lot of ways, because I went through this real shaming process, where my whole community kind of found out that I was ‘sinful’ or ‘dirty’ in the Mormon world,” Reynolds told Deadline.

"This real shaming process?"

"My whole community kind of found out?"

 Color me a bit skeptical.  He's bolstering, I think, to make himself look like a victim and the LDS Church look bad.

There is no "shaming process" in the LDS Church.  And transgressions of the sort he describes are A) not uncommon, and B) kept confidential.  He seems to be bearing false witness here.

Quote

“There’s a real problem in the Mormon culture. It’s broken,” Reynolds said. “We wanted to shine a light on that and hopefully create some change.”

No, it's not "broken."  There is certainly room for "some change."  But Mormon culture is not "broken" in the way he seems to be suggesting (requiring members to adhere to the Law of Chastity).

Quote

The Mormon Church has acknowledged the documentary and endorsed his LoveLoud festival, which focused on people part of the LGBT community who hope to start conversations with the church. However, Reynolds said that was not enough.

Yeah.  This is why I have a hard time granting a presumption of good faith to people like Mr. Reynolds.  The Church can never do "enough."  It's his way or the highway.  That's just not the way the Church works.

Quote

The singer said he wants the church to change its policies for LGBT members and not to condemn them for their sexual orientation.

Hmm.  Mr. Reynolds having gone to the effort of making a documentary, I would hope he would be informed and educated about the Church's policies and teachings regarding "LGBT members."

And yet here he bears false witness, accusing the Church of "condemning them (LGBT members) for their sexual orientation."

It's hard to chalk this up to inadvertence.  So the more likely motive appears to be . . . bad faith.

Disappointing.

Quote

“The policies remain intact,” Reynolds said. “They say being gay is a sin, and until that’s taken away, speaking in platitudes and even endorsing this festival, it’s a step, but there’s a long way to go as far as moving forward.”

More bearing of false witness.  The Church does not teach that "being gay is a sin."  The Church has been emphatic about this.  For years.  He must know this by now.

So, yeah.  Bad faith on his part.

Quote

Reynolds said that, despite its policies, he is still a member of the church. The Mormon Church forbids same-sex couples in the congregation to baptize their children and take “other religious rites until they become adults,’ the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

“As long as those policies are still intact our LGBT youth still have high percentages of depression, anxiety and suicide,” Reynolds told the Tribune.

I'm not buying into the causal link here.  I think there's a lot more to this issue.  I hope at some point the folks like Dan Reynolds start to consider their own behavior in this matter.  

I do not doubt that some folks have dispassionately reviewed the policy changes and have come away with concerns about it.  I can understand and respect that.  But let's not kid ourselves.  The Church has been raked over the coals about this policy.  The Church's position on the policy has not been given a fair shake.  At all.  It has been critics and opponents of the Church ginning up hysterics and ranting and raving and fomenting ill will against the Church and its members from the moment John Dehlin scooped the Church's roll-out.  In other words, emotions - negative, judgmental emotions - have predominated the popular discussion about the policy.

I submit that, in many instances, the people introducing conflict into the lives of young gay Latter-day Saints are critics and opponents of the Church, including people like Mr. Reynolds.  They are the ones who have whipped up adverse public sentiment.  They are the ones who presume to dictate to the Church what it can and cannot do regarding sensitive internal matters.  They are the ones who have not acknowledged the Church's explanation for the policy changes or afforded it any credence or weight.  They are the ones making horrible (and also often false/misleading) public accusations against the Church and its leaders and members.

And to make it all the worse, many of them are operating in bad faith.  These same critics and opponents who claim to resent the Church's policy changes are intrinsically opposed to the LDS Church and its doctrines and beliefs.  How does that work?  "Hey, Mormonism sucks in every respect!  And I am really steamed that they are having some very few children wait until they are emancipated before joining!"

To the extent these children feel alienated from the Church, the vast bulk of the blame lies, IMO, with those who have sensationalized this issue, who have been screaming for years now, falsely declaring that the Mormon Church hates gay people and their children.  They have put the worst possible spin imaginable on the policy changes.  They have presumed to speak for the Church to those children, and to then proceed to say horrible and false things to those children.  They have sought to put false words into the mouths of the leaders of the Church.

The great swells of anger and animosity and resentment about the policy changes cannot credibly be attributed to the Church.  By way of evidence, I point you to to the Church's nearly identical policy about children coming from polygamous families.  That policy has been in place for years, and has been administered at the local level by individual bishops and other leaders who know the individuals involved and work with them with love and encouragement and patience.  And the response to this policy from critics and opponents has been . . . essentially nonexistent.  No hue and cry.  No hysterical denunciations.  Now why is that, do you think?  Whence the indifference to these children?  I attribute it to the lack of available opportunism.  Critics and opponents of the LDS Church, in the aggregate, simply don't care about these kids.  

In contrast, critics and enemies of the Church are using the corollary policy (the one under discussion) to work nonstop to publicly foment anger and discord and hate against the Church by its members and prospective members.  Now, these critics and opponents of the LDS Church like to claim that they care about these kids, but I question their sincerity.  It's too pat.  Too convenient.  To jarringly inapposite to the near-total inattentions/neglect demonstrated by the critics and opponents as to the children of polygamous families.  Gay rights are presently a Hot Topic, hence the "Think of the children!" angle results in lots of attention and social pressure and criticism against the LDS Church. 

The disparate reactions to these two policies are, in my view, a key indicator that the current state of acrimony and high tension is not attributable to the November 2015 policy changes, but to the sensationalized, agenda-driven, I-hate-the-LDS-Church-so-much-I'm-willing-to-inflict-fear-and-anger-and-confusion-on-children-and-then-exploit-their-reactions-and-weaponize-them-against-the-Church style of controversy ginned up by the Church's critics and opponents.

Is Dan Reynolds ever going to contemplate that?  I hope so.

In the end, I have to concur with Scott's assessment.  Why on earth should we privilege the opinion of Dan Reynolds in this matter?  His public statements give no indication of reasoned study and analysis of the issues at hand.  To the contrary, he comes across as fairly ignorant of the Church's teachings and policies, or else as acting in bad faith (or, sadly, both).

Thanks,

-Smac

Edited January 23, 2018 by smac97

[Scott Lloyd]

2 hours ago, Calm said:

For people over a certain age, I suspect.

For those under...I will have to ask my daughter and son if they have heard of her (they have sung her music, nut did they care enough to learn the artist's name?

 

39 minutes ago, Daniel2 said:

While I think who's "most famous" is debatable (and Ms. Knight definitely wins in several), it also depends on the criteria and demographic being considered... I'm not sure many non-Mormons know Ms. Knight converted to Mormonism or consider her to be 'a famous Mormon,' though.

While Knight might have more 'name recognition' to certain demographic populations, I think a case can certainly be made that Reynolds and his music are far more relevant than Knight is in the current entertainment, social media, and political arenas.

Gladys Knight is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Soul Music Hall of Fame and the Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame.

Forty years on, we'll see how many people remember or will have heard of Imagine Dragons.

Edited January 23, 2018 by Scott Lloyd

[california boy]

No one in the church should be entitled to a different opinion on this issue.  Right?  He is not a voice for some Mormons.  Right?  So what should the church do?  Run him out of the church as well for speaking out about how he personally feels?  Should the church label all those members who are not behind church policy apostates?  Will that fix the problem for you?  Do you have another solution?  Or should it all just be ignored?

It is easy to rant against what someone else is doing.  How about a suggestion on how to move forward.  Or should nothing change?  I am really interested in what members that object to how this issues is being brought up mostly by other members like Reynolds think should happen.  

[california boy]

2 minutes ago, Scott Lloyd said:

 

Gladys Knight is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Soul Music Hall of Fame.

Forty years on, we'll see how many people remember or will have heard of Imagine Dragons.

Do you think people outside the church know that Gladys Knight is a Mormon?

[ALarson]

8 minutes ago, Scott Lloyd said:

Gladys Knight is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Soul Music Hall of Fame and the Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame.

Forty years on, we'll see how many people remember or will have heard of Imagine Dragons.

I agree.  I don't even know who this guy is (but I admit I have heard some of his music and I like it....my kids play it).  I know many youth who just went to one of their concerts and are crazy about them.

And that's the point.  Ask the youth who Gladys Knight is and they'll say "Who?" (For the most part.).  But, this guy's music and what he's saying IS relevant to the younger generation.  He will have a lot of listeners and he's already getting quite a bit of press on this.  It'll probably only increase after this movie begins to be distributed and shown to audiences.

 

Edited January 23, 2018 by ALarson

[kllindley]

2 minutes ago, ALarson said:

I agree.  I don't even know who this guy is (but I admit I have heard some of his music and I like it....my kids play it).  I know many youth who just went to one of their concerts and are crazy about them.

And that's the point.  Ask the youth who Gladys Knight is and they's say "Who?" (For the most part.).  But, this guy's music and what he's saying IS relevant to the younger generation.  He will have a lot of listeners and he's already getting quite a bit of press on this.  It'll probably only increase after this movie begins to be distributed and shown to audiences.

 

I guess I just find it sad that he will be given this platform and yet never even took the time to reach out to LGBT members who are happy in the Church.  This is a very one-sided perspective and as smac pointed out, it doesn't even feel like a good-faith perspective.  

[ALarson]

3 minutes ago, kllindley said:

I guess I just find it sad that he will be given this platform and yet never even took the time to reach out to LGBT members who are happy in the Church. 

Yes, I agree.  I would love that your voice (and others) be heard too and your story is an important one to tell.   For sure, he's only telling his (or one) perspective. 

Edited January 23, 2018 by ALarson

[Scott Lloyd]

15 minutes ago, california boy said:

Do you think people outside the church know that Gladys Knight is a Mormon?

I'm not sure how many people outside the Church know or care that there's a Mormon in Imagine Dragons.

[Amulek]

2 hours ago, Calm said:

For people over a certain age, I suspect.

Well, for people over a certain age, it's still going to be Donny and Marie. 

 

Quote

For those under...I will have to ask my daughter and son if they have heard of her (they have sung her music, nut did they care enough to learn the artist's name?

For younger kids and teenagers I'm willing to bet that the dancing violin girl is still much more recognized. Maybe even the piano guys.

Don't get me wrong; I bet most kids have heard Radioactive and a couple of other Imagine Dragons songs, but YouTubers (sp?) are just much more recognized and popular with the younger generation.

 

 

[california boy]

7 minutes ago, kllindley said:

I guess I just find it sad that he will be given this platform and yet never even took the time to reach out to LGBT members who are happy in the Church.  This is a very one-sided perspective and as smac pointed out, it doesn't even feel like a good-faith perspective.  

I am sure there would be an interest in telling that story as well.  Now you just have to figure out a way to get that story told to a broader audience.

[california boy]

1 minute ago, Scott Lloyd said:

I'm not sure how many people outside the Church know or care that there's a Mormon in Imagine Dragons.

Well then what he says really won't matter much will it.

[Scott Lloyd]

22 minutes ago, ALarson said:

I agree.  I don't even know who this guy is (but I admit I have heard some of his music and I like it....my kids play it).  I know many youth who just went to one of their concerts and are crazy about them.

And that's the point.  Ask the youth who Gladys Knight is and they's say "Who?" (For the most part.).  But, this guy's music and what he's saying IS relevant to the younger generation.  He will have a lot of listeners and he's already getting quite a bit of press on this.  It'll probably only increase after this movie begins to be distributed and shown to audiences.

 

I guess we'll see.

Meanwhile, there were a lot of pop music stars in the heyday of Gladys Knight and the Pips who few today, even among older age groups, remember or have even heard of.

 

Edited January 23, 2018 by Scott Lloyd

[Jeanne]

1 minute ago, Scott Lloyd said:

I guess we'll see.

Meanwhile, there were a lot of pop music stars in the heyday of Gladys Knight and the Pips who few today remember or have even heard of.

 

Wow...I remember!!

[ALarson]

2 minutes ago, california boy said:

Well then what he says really won't matter much will it.

Oh, I think this is already getting a lot of press.  It'll be interesting to see how much attention the movie will get when it's released and on HBO too.

[Scott Lloyd]

9 minutes ago, california boy said:

Well then what he says really won't matter much will it.

I hope not.

[Jeanne]

26 minutes ago, ALarson said:

I agree.  I don't even know who this guy is (but I admit I have heard some of his music and I like it....my kids play it).  I know many youth who just went to one of their concerts and are crazy about them.

And that's the point.  Ask the youth who Gladys Knight is and they'll say "Who?" (For the most part.).  But, this guy's music and what he's saying IS relevant to the younger generation.  He will have a lot of listeners and he's already getting quite a bit of press on this.  It'll probably only increase after this movie begins to be distributed and shown to audiences.

 

I don't them...do you have any words to songs they are popular for...what is making them relevant?

[smac97]

27 minutes ago, california boy said:

No one in the church should be entitled to a different opinion on this issue.  Right?  

Wrong.  Nobody is saying such an absurd thing.

Rather, I think we are suggesting that Mr. Reynolds' opinion should not be privileged simply because he is famous.  It should be evaluated on its substantive merits.  And its merits are . . . lacking.

27 minutes ago, california boy said:

He is not a voice for some Mormons.  Right?  

Wrong.  Again.  Why are you doing this?

27 minutes ago, california boy said:

So what should the church do?  

Why are you asking what the Church should do?  The topic is Dan Reynolds and his apparently bad faith characterizations of the Church.  What should Dan Reynolds do about that?

27 minutes ago, california boy said:

Run him out of the church as well for speaking out about how he personally feels?  Should the church label all those members who are not behind church policy apostates?  Will that fix the problem for you?  Do you have another solution?  Or should it all just be ignored?

Let's put aside the emotionalisms.

I think Dan Reynolds should educate himself.  And speak honestly and honorably about what the Church teaches and does regarding LGBT folks.

27 minutes ago, california boy said:

It is easy to rant against what someone else is doing.  

I bow to your superior knowledge and experience in all matters regarding rants.

27 minutes ago, california boy said:

How about a suggestion on how to move forward.  

Okay.  Let's stop grossly mischaracterizing the Church's teachings and policies regarding LGBT folks.  That would be a good place to start.

27 minutes ago, california boy said:

Or should nothing change?  

A lot has changed.  Are you capable of acknowledging that?

27 minutes ago, california boy said:

I am really interested in what members that object to how this issues is being brought up mostly by other members like Reynolds think should happen.  

Again, let's stop grossly mischaracterizing the Church's teachings and policies regarding LGBT folks.

Let's stop with the vitriolic and over-the-top rhetoric.

Let's stop with the efforts by you and yours to alienate young gay Latter-day Saints from their faith and their families by asserting - falsely - that we hate them, that we hate gay people and their children.

Let's stop putting the worst possible spin imaginable on the policy changes.

Let's stop having enemies and critics of the Church presume to speak for the Church to LDS children about what the Church teaches and believes, and let's stop saying horrible and false things to those children about the Church's teachings.

Let's stop having enemies and critics of the Church putting false words into the mouths of the leaders of the Church.

Quit working nonstop to publicly foment anger about and discord within and hate against the Church.

Let's give the Church some room to, you know, teach what it sincerely believes, and then let those teachings stand (or fall) on their merits.

Let's give the Church room and time to work with the policy changes (much as it has - with generalized success - with its nearly-identical policies regarding children of polygamous families).

Thanks,

-Smac

 

[Daniel2]

1 hour ago, Scott Lloyd said:

I'm not sure how many people outside the Church know or care that there's a Mormon in Imagine Dragons.

That's not the point, though, is it...?  Just like Gladys Knight's numerous, admirable, and well-deserved awards and longevity are beside the point.

Reynolds is saying that aside from Donny and Marie, he's one of the most famous (if not the most famous) Mormons in the spotlight today.  In my personal experience, it's clear that a majority of LDS Youth in Utah know that Imagine Dragons are LDS or that Dan Reynolds, the lead singer of Imagine Dragons, is LDS.  Most would have no idea who Gladys Knight, let alone be able to identify any songs she sings (heck... at 45, I'm not sure I can even name any she has, though I'm sure I'd recognize some when I heard them).

Reynolds and his band have been on my radar for the last 9 years (which was FAR before he became anywhere NEAR associated with LGBT issues), when I moved to Utah to be close to my devout LDS kids attending school at Timpview in Provo and very much in the shadow of the very locally-popular BYU.  In fact, I joyfully listened to them at the time "in spite of knowing" they were LDS--I still considered them part of my 'other' (Mormon) tribe, though I presumed at the time they wouldn't be supportive of my 'gay' tribe (or my sexual orientation).  At that time, Imagine Dragons was a fledgling local band from Provo, Utah, and they were HUGELY popular and often requested on Utah-based radio stations.  (I used to be driven almost crazy by--click on the title to open links to listen to these--"Radioactive" and "Demons" and "On Top of the World" and "It's Time" over and over and over on the radio, but that's what my kids in their tweens and teens were loving---and I admit, I grew to love them too, and still love all of those songs... for those curious about their music, give them a try!).  From those LDS members I associated with, both Provo-based high school students and BYU students viewed the group as "one of their own," an LDS success story, someone who had broke through 'the Mormon Bubble' into the mainstream and were gaining notoriety and fortune and fame, along the lines of Steve Young back in his day. 

I was as stunned and surprised as the next devout LDS member when Reynolds only recently started making comments in support of the LGBT community.  Due to several factors, including my tragically and incredibly acrimonious divorce and it's personal affect on them, their absorption of their mother's negativity about LGBT issues, and their own social climates and religious beliefs and communities, my three kids were understandably reticent and slow in acknowledging or even accepting my sexual orientation.  Imagine Dragons, however, had been my teenage son's favorite group for YEARS prior to any of the gay-affirming talk... And as one of my son's personal heroes (and also my two daughters, to a slightly lesser extent), what Dan Reynolds starting saying had a profound affect on my own kids and their openness and willingness to re-engage with both me, and, to both of our surprise, my husband, as well.  Without even knowing or doing anything, from personal experience, I can say that this performer chose to advocate for extending love for LGBT members of the LDS communities, and it directly affected my family, much to my own astonishment and surprise.

Yes, Gladys Knight has well-deserved accolades and awards and undeniable and admirable talent--I love her music and her charm.  But I don't think most of her non-LDS fans and followers are aware she's LDS, and I don't think her LDS fans consider her to be much of an influence on their views.  At least, not in the same influential way that Reynolds is, for the younger LDS generation.  Gladys Knight grew from the mainstream into Mormonism much later in her life and after a successful career as a non-Mormon.  Reynolds didn't convert into Mormonism after a successful career--he and his fellow bandmates began within Mormonism and smashed onto the mainstream in a highly visible and very successful way.  The dynamic of the levels of social, political, and entertainment-based contemporary influence is entirely different.  (I'm not saying that makes Reynolds more talented that Knight, or that his career will be as long and as recognized as hers--I'm just saying his current influence is far more profound for the younger generation).

And despite the grumblings and objections by those who accuse and/or ad hominem-ly attack Reynolds, his message, and whether or not his words demonstrate 'good faith,' as Reynold's success and attention is demonstrating, he and his message IS being heard (whether or not one agrees with him) in ways that Knight certainly isn't.

And, as Imagine Dragons grew from Mormonism into the mainstream, it will be interesting to see how much success he'll likewise have in bringing his LDS community along with him into the mainstream of LGBT-affirmation and acceptance.

D

Edited January 23, 2018 by Daniel2

[Daniel2]

Here's a YouTube Playlist sampling of their music:

And an interesting Variety article illustrates how much Reynolds and his band have broken into the mainstream, especially their song "Believer" which is on everything from commercials to movie previews to, of course, the old-fashioned radio.  Chances are, most of us exposed to TV or film or radio have heard his music, even if you didn't realize it (yet):

Quote

Imagine Dragons Rules TV Ads With ‘Believer,’ ‘Thunder’

NOVEMBER 24, 2017 9:00AM PT

Imagine Dragons’ “Evolve” isn’t just the year’s top-selling rock album: Driven by the songs “Believer” — No. 10 on the BuzzAngle Top 30 — and “Thunder,” it’s produced an impressive number of TV and commercial synchs. Credit Universal Music Enterprises exec VP of film & TV music Tom Rowland and KIDinaKORNER’s head of synch and licensing Zach Sinick for the songs’ multi-screen ubiquity. Additionally, Daniel Sena, Interscope Records’ head of strategic marketing, played an instrumental role in bringing in synchs for Microsoft Surface and Jeep, while Dennis Dennehy, exec VP at Interscope Geffen A&M overseeing artist strategy and media, and Dave Nieman, from IGA’s film and TV department, worked on landing the Nintendo campaign.

“Believer” had more than 32 syncs as of press time, with the following highlights:

Nintendo Switch: Aired during last year’s Super Bowl, the song perfectly matches a gamer seamlessly moving from his cell phone to a big screen.

Jeep Celebration Event: In a deft bit of bonus promotion, the song gets a name-check on the car dashboard’s SiriusXM readout.

“Thunder” has been synched 19 times so far in 2017, including:

Microsoft Surface Laptop: Like the Jeep commercial, the band’s name on the Spotify interface is featured on the screen.

Jeep “Drive and Discover” (Freedom 2017 Cherokee):  The song is well integrated into the ad, which starts with Dan Reynolds singing, “I was dreaming/Of bigger things,” suiting the company’s “Drive and discover” theme.

Edited January 23, 2018 by Daniel2

[Vanguard]

16 minutes ago, Daniel2 said:

That's not the point, though, is it...?  Just like Gladys Knight's numerous, admirable, and well-deserved awards and longevity are beside the point.

Reynolds is saying that aside from Donny and Marie, he's one of the most famous (if not the most famous) Mormons in the spotlight today.

I can guarantee most of you that a majority of LDS Youth in Utah know that Imagine Dragons are LDS or that Dan Reynolds, the lead singer of Imagine Dragons, is LDS.

Reynolds and his band have been on my radar for the last 9 years (which was FAR before he became anywhere NEAR associated with LGBT issues), when I moved to Utah to be close to my devout LDS kids attending school at Timpview in Provo and very much in the shadow of the very locally-popular BYU.  At that time, Imagine Dragons was a fledgling local band from Provo, Utah, and they were HUGELY popular and often requested on Utah-based radio stations.  (I used to be driven almost crazy by "Radio Active" over and over and over on the radio, but that's what my kids in their tweens and teens were loving).  From those LDS members I associated with, both Provo-based high school students and BYU students viewed the group as "one of their own," an LDS success story, someone who had broke through 'the Mormon Bubble' into the mainstream and were gaining notoriety and fortune and fame, along the lines of Steve Young back in his day. 

I was as stunned and surprised as the next devout LDS member when Reynolds only recently started making comments in support of the LGBT community.  Due to several factors, including my divorce and it's personal affect on them, their absorption of their mother's negativity about LGBT issues, and their own social climates and religious beliefs and communities, they were understandably reticent and slow in acknowledging or even accepting my sexual orientation.  Imagine Dragons, however, had been my teenage son's favorite group for YEARS prior to any of the gay-affirming talk... And as one of my son's personal heroes (and also my two daughters, to a slightly lesser extent), what Dan Reynolds starting saying had a profound affect on my own kids and their openness and willingness to re-engage with both me, and, to both of our surprise, my husband, as well.  Without even knowing or doing anything, from personal experience, I can say that this performer chose to advocate for extending love for LGBT members of the LDS communities, and it directly affected my family, much to my own astonishment and surprise.

Yes, Gladys Knight has accolades and awards and undeniable and admirable talent--I love her music and her charm.  But I don't think most of her non-LDS fans and followers are aware she's LDS, and I don't think her LDS fans consider her to be much of an influence on their views.  At least, not in the same influential way that Reynolds is, for the younger LDS generation.  Gladys Knight grew from the mainstream into Mormonism much later in her life and after a successful career as a non-Mormon.  Reynolds didn't convert into Mormonism after a successful career--he and his fellow bandmates began within Mormonism and smashed onto the mainstream in a highly visible and very successful way.  The dynamic of the levels of social, political, and entertainment-based contemporary influence is entirely different.  (I'm not saying that makes Reynolds more talented that Knight, or that his career will be as long and as recognized as hers--I'm just saying his current influence is far more profound for the younger generation).

And despite the grumblings and objections by those who accuse and/or ad hominem-ly attack Reynolds, his message, and whether or not his words demonstrate 'good faith,' as Reynold's success and attention is demonstrating, he and his message IS being heard (whether or not one agrees with him) in ways that Knight certainly isn't.

And, as Imagine Dragons grew from Mormonism into the mainstream, it will be interesting to see how much success he'll likewise have in bringing his LDS community along with him into the mainstream of LGBT-affirmation and acceptance.

D

This is a good story. : ) My concern with Reynolds is that with this newly found platform he may well venture into more politically charged commentary that will compel him to come out more openly against the the church. There is a voracious appetite & market for all things against it. Others will deliberately challenge him to speak more provocatively against our policies. He enters tricky waters where he will probably sooner than later have to throw down the gauntlet against his own faith community. And it seems he is already preparing for this... : (

Edited January 23, 2018 by Vanguard

[kllindley]

50 minutes ago, california boy said:

I am sure there would be an interest in telling that story as well.  Now you just have to figure out a way to get that story told to a broader audience.

I believe that some people would respond positively.  However, given the reaction to a TLC special that was trying to tell our story, I am skeptical that the results would be better.  The individuals whose story was told were targeted with hate mail and death threats.  I'll pass on that.

[Daniel2]

Wait a minute...

Imagine.... Dragons.....

Mama... Dragons....

Are dragons... the new, gay thing...?!?!    

[ALarson]

Here's one of their songs I've heard over and over (and I do like it too):