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Mormon Stories Podcast

631: Tyler Glenn Pt. 1 - Early Years as a Gay Mormon Teen

Mormon Stories Podcast

Dr. John Dehlin

Religion & Spirituality

4.55.7K Ratings

🗓️ 14 April 2016

⏱️ 118 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Tyler Glenn is best known as the lead singer of the multi-platinum alternative pop band Neon Trees.  

Tyler was raised LDS/Mormon in Temecula, California.  After discovering a love for music in high school and serving an LDS mission, Tyler moved to Provo, UT with his buddy Chris to form Neon Trees (named after the trees on the In and Out signs).  Neon Trees signed with Mercury Records in 2009 and went on to release three successful alternative pop albums: Habits (2010), Picture Show (2012), and Pop Psychology (2014).

Tyler knew he was gay as a child, but struggled as a teen and adult to reconcile his sexuality with his LDS faith.  These struggles took Tyler to some sad/dark places, which were only exacerbated by his fame as a pop star.  At age 27 (around the release of Picture Show), Tyler seriously contemplated ending his life.

In spite of these struggles, Tyler remained a full and literal believer in the LDS Church.  In 2014 Tyler decided that being a closeted gay man was contributing to his suicidality.  Consequently he came out as gay to his family, band, friends -- and to the world in Rolling Stone magazine -- prior to the release of Pop Psychology.  From this point forward it was Tyler's full intent to find and marry a gay man, and to raise children in the LDS church as a gay married Mormon.  

Then, in November of 2015, the LDS church released its new policy branding same-sex married Mormons as immediate apostates, and prohibiting children of same-sex married couples from being baptized.  This policy change sent Tyler into a tailspin, ultimately shattering his plans as a believing, gay Mormon. 

In this three part interview, we explore:

  • Part 1: Tyler's early years as a young Mormon struggling with his sexuality.
  • Part 2: Tyler's ascent (along with Neon Trees) into stardom...and the sadness/despair that followed.
  • Part 3: Tyler's faith crisis instigated by the LDS policy change, along with his current beliefs/views regarding the LDS Church.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Music

0:06.0

Warmest Stories podcast is a production of the Open Stories Foundation.

0:10.0

All donations to Warmest Stories are fully tax deductible

0:13.0

and go directly towards keeping the podcast alive and towards building a community of support for Mormons like you.

0:19.0

Come, come, you sayings, no toil, no labor fear, but with joy when you're way.

0:33.0

Hello and welcome everyone to another edition of Warmest Stories podcast.

0:37.0

I'm your host John DeLin. It is February 17th, 2016.

0:42.0

We're downtown Salt Lake City and super excited for this interview.

0:48.0

This interview I've wanted to do for years and I cannot express how excited I am to have

0:56.0

Titer Glen with us today on Warmest Stories.

1:00.0

Titer Glen, welcome. For years eh?

1:03.0

Years. Wow.

1:05.0

Been waiting patiently.

1:07.0

Feel bad.

1:09.0

For the three listeners who may not know who Titer Glen is, Titer Glen is the lead singer of the band Neon Trees.

1:19.0

Rock band, pop band depends on how you want to describe it.

1:22.0

More rock and pop, what would you say?

1:24.0

Whatever, man.

1:25.0

Yeah. Rock and rollin.

1:28.0

But this is a world class band obviously and we're going to be talking a lot of cool stuff.

1:34.0

We're going to be talking about Titer's upbringing.

1:37.0

Last year was it?

...

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