How much do we love Grammy Award-winning Imagine Dragons frontman, Dan Reynolds?
Raised Mormon, Reynolds has spent years fighting for greater LGBTQ acceptance within the church.
Growing up, the native Utahn had a middle school friend who was Mormon and gay, and he watched how the struggles of trying to resolve the two worlds wore on his friend. Reynolds also says he's lost high school friends to suicide.
Determined to affect change, he and former Mormon rocker Tyler Glenn teamed up last year to create the annual music festival LOVELOUD which aims to raise money for LGBTQ charities and organizations like The Trevor Project and the Tegan and Sara Foundation.
This year the event takes place on July 28 featuring, in addition to Imagine Dragons, artists like Zedd, Grace Vanderwaal, Vagabon, and others at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.
AT&T has also teamed up with Reynolds for the LOVELOUD festival as a sponsor.
A longtime LGBTQ ally, AT&T has generously donated $1 million this year to The Trevor Project, the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people.
excited to announce that this yr, @LOVELOUDfest will be joining forces with @ATT to keep the dialogue going about how we can better serve our LGBTQ+ youth in our homes & communities. I hope 2 see u there and am wishing the entire LGBTQ+ community a #happypridemonth #attinfluencer pic.twitter.com/mDbaCWNSOM
— Dan Reynolds (@DanReynolds) June 2, 2018
“I think the LOVELOUD stage is the most important stage I will ever stand on,” the 30-year-old recently told Queerty. “The festival has helped facilitate vital conversation about what it means to truly love and accept our LGBTQ youth.”
For a chance to win a free VIP trip to the LOVELOUD festival including tickets, travel and accommodations, download the AT&T THANKS app and enter the sweepstakes on the app.
Plus, from July 11-16, 2018, AT&T THANKS will be running a Social LOVELOUD Giveaway Contest for 10 pairs of concert tickets to the show. Customers are asked to share why they want to “Turn Up the Love” to enter for a chance to Win tickets to the LOVELOUD Festival
The new documentary, Believer, follows Reynolds as he launched the music festival last year and also explores how the Mormon Church treats its LGBTQ members.
"I hope people understand the importance of fully accepting and loving our LGBTQ youth," says Reynolds about the film. "I hope people are able to watch and feel the harsh realities that our LGBTQ youth are facing in faith-based communities. I hope it perpetuates change."
Watch the trailer for Believer below.
