Imagine Dragons won the award for Top Rock Artist at the Billboard Music Awards and the band’s LGBTQ ally frontman Dan Reynolds took the opportunity to call for an end to gay conversion therapy in his acceptance speech.
Said Reynolds: “I just want to take this moment to say that there are still 34 states that have no laws banning conversion therapy. 34. And on top of that, 58 percent of our LGBTQ population live in those states. This can change but it’s going to take all of us talking to our state legislation, pushing forward laws to protect our LGBTQ youth.
“And lastly,” he added. “I just want to say we have seen with conversion therapy that our LGBTQ youth have doubled the rate of depression, tripled the rate of suicide after conversion therapy. It’s not working. It needs to change.”
Reynolds recently took to Twitter to urge religious leaders to drop the harmful practice.
Tweeted Reynolds: “I plead with our religious leaders across the world to stand up for equality together. true equality – not empty words of love – but statements and actions thats show our LGBTQ youth that they are “sinless” and perfect just as they are. Until these changes are made within the doctrines of orthodox faith, we will continue to see increased rates of suicidality and depression/anxiety amongst our LGBTQ youth.”
