Imagine Dragons singer Dan Reynolds apologises for anti-LGBT past
By Ross Semple
Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons has apologised for preaching that homosexuality was a sin during his youth.
Reynolds, the lead singer of the Las Vegas rock band, received the Hero Award from the LGBT+ youth suicide hotline The Trevor Project last week.
Dan was raised Mormon, and believed that homosexuality was a sin for much of his youth. He preached the religion’s teachings as a missionary for two years.
Recalling the experience while accepting his award, Reynolds said: “I knocked on thousands of doors. For those two years when people asked me what the doctrine was and they said, ‘Hey I’m gay,’ I thought that it was a sin because that’s what I had been raised to teach.”
He said that he now regrets what he did: “I hold regret about that until this day. I wish I could re-knock on those doors and tell them I was wrong. I can’t do that.
“All I can do is come forward to you today and say I’m sincerely sorry.”
Dan credits his wife, who was living with two lesbians when the couple met, with educating him on LGBT+ acceptance. “My wife was my missionary. She taught me what I already knew in my heart, which was that to be gay is beautiful,” he said.
Reynolds helped organise the “Love Loud” festival, which aims to unite LGBT+ communities with religious communities. Proceeds from the event will go to LGBT+ charities.
Watch Dan’s emotional speech below:
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