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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Two years after coming out as gay and praising the Mormon church for offering support, Neon Trees frontman Tyler Glenn is denouncing his faith in his latest music video.
SALT LAKE CITY >> Two years after coming out as gay and praising the Mormon church for offering support, the lead singer of a popular rock band is denouncing his faith in his latest music video.
Tyler Glenn of Neon Trees, a Provo, Utah-based band, released the video Friday for a single titled “Trash,” in which he appears to be trashing the church. The video includes images related to the church and shows Glenn drinking alcohol.
Glenn told Rolling Stone magazine that his belief in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints changed about six months ago.
In November, the church announced that people in same-sex couples could be excommunicated. The rules also said children of those couples must disavow homosexual relationships and cannot be baptized until they are 18.
One of few publicly out Mormons, Glenn told The Associated Press in 2014 that he was looking forward to speaking about gay acceptance in his religious culture.
“On the level of being a role model for kids or LGBT Mormon youth, I’m totally down because I come from that background and I would be able to speak to them honestly,” he said shortly after announcing his sexual orientation.
A representative of the church declined to comment.
In the 2014 interview, he said he had received positive feedback from church leaders.
“I was surprised at how many Mormon church leaders wrote me messages saying, ‘This is great that you’re doing this,’ ” he said. “That really was cool.”
He’s right. Mormons should change.
Let me say this, I don’t believe anyone chose to be gay. I say they were born that way and had no choice. But the Bible is very clear about homosexuality. That it is a sin. So what do you do? Rewrite the Bible? Admit the Bible was written by man and expose the fraud of Jesus?
I don’t think the Mormon church cares what Mr. Glenn does.
If you no longer believe in the tenets of your faith, why, just find another that suits you and move on. It’s not as if you lack choices in this country or are prevented from exercising freedom of choice.
If, on the other hand, you feel the practitioners of your faith are deluded or in error but the tenets remain sound, then split off your own sect, branch, or denomination. If your arguments prove widely persuasive, then you’ll attract many like-minded followers.