Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons is on a musical mission to save LGBTQ lives

The leader of Imagine Dragons, Dan Reynolds, knows that his candid commitment to LGBTQ rights is a hot topic of debate among his fans around the world, and he is perfectly in agreement with that.

"There is not a day going by without me receiving an email from someone who is angry at me and who tells me that he will no longer let his son listen to Imagine Dragons," the 31-year-old … old native of Nevada told HuffPost. "I've also seen comments in articles where people say," This privileged, white and heterosexual man is trying to be part of a cause for other reasons than … "C & # 39 is just what it is. I believe so much in the cause that all this is only noise. "

For the second year in a row, Reynolds is organizing the LoveLoud Festival Powered by AT & T, a one – day Utah music festival for LGBTQ groups and organizations. Last year was featured prominently in the 2018 HBO documentary "Believer", which explored Reynolds' efforts to reconcile his LGBTQ advocacy work with his Mormon education.

This year's LoveLoud festival , slated for Saturday at Rice-Eccles in Salt Lake City, is even more ambitious, it aims to raise $ 1 million for LGBTQ organizations and will feature performances by Imagine Dragons, Neon Trees Tyler Glenn and Tegan Quin de Tegan and Sara, among others, Olympic freeskier Gus Kenworthy, dancer-singer Julianne Hough and Apple CEO Tim Cook are among the notable to appear.

In between preparations of the festival, Quin and Reynolds spoke to HuffPost about their plans for this year 's event, their commitment to LGBTQ causes and why they think music can be the most political form of art.

Congratulations on the second year of LoveLoud! What are you waiting for the most this year?

Dan Reynolds : Looks like Christmas is coming or something! The last LoveLoud was the best day of my life, really. I know it sounds so banal, but the amount of love, emotion and magic that was in the air was so indescribable. I can not stress enough that it was amazing to see and see so many families who had a real gathering moment. It's a beautiful thing to do with 20,000 people, and this year it's even bigger than that. I can not wait to see the transgender child standing next to his uncle, who never supported them, arms one around the other.

Tegan Quin : I was not there last year, but watching the documentary about it, I was so moved. It really inspired me to get involved. It's such a positive thing, especially in our day when the news is full of negativity, conflict, conflict and disagreement. Imagine yourself in a sea of ​​people who gather because they want to live something positive! It could be the best day ever.

Given the show's mission, have you received criticism from critics?

Reynolds : Absolutely. Whenever you try to bring people together on both sides of a problem, I think you are going to have people who are suspicious or who have feelings about it, and that is OK.

Quin : The first conversation I had with Dan, he was so eloquent on this subject. Dan is in a privileged position, and it's a shame that all too often, people who have a platform, an access and an opportunity do not involve themselves. I think the fact that Dan is so invested in this project is a testament to the seriousness of his cause.

As a queer woman … it's hard to get people to do it, even in my own community to show up. We all have different points of view, but one thing we can agree on is that it's nice to get together, have a conversation and celebrate. What Dan does is so inspiring to me because he shows himself.

What role do you think artists and musicians have in changing or changing cultural dialogue , whether it's about LGBTQ rights or any other cause?

Reynolds : Music speaks to people in a way that breaks the boundaries that words and actions sometimes can not. Especially in the current climate, it is more important than ever for musicians to express themselves. I am about as privileged as possible. I am a white, male and heterosexual front man from a rock band. So the weight I feel every day is, "What are you doing with that?"

If you do not do anything, well, you do not deserve to be where you are. I have spent many years without voice, living harmlessly, living scared. I do not want to be that person anymore, and I do not want to leave this example for [my daughters Arrow Eve, 5, and Gia James and Coco Rae, both 1]. I want them to be ferocious and that they tell their truth regardless of the consequences. It's sad for me that this is a realization that I had when I was 30, but now I feel more urgent than ever to tell my truth. I would have liked that 10 years ago.

Tegan, have you ever felt the responsibility of representing the LGBTQ community specifically through your work as an artist?

Quin : I recognize the privilege of [being] middle-class, white, cisgender and Canadian. We grew up in a truly political household and we were encouraged to use our voices from an early age. It certainly had consequences, but when we started our group, there was no doubt that we would go out and talk about what we believed. I felt socially, politically and even personally obliged to speak and help those in my community.

As musicians, we have room for maneuver that even actors are not. We are allowed to talk about things that we think are important, and our audience is allowed not to worry if that's what they want.

Sometimes I feel tired, too. I do not wake up everyday saying, "Yeah, that's great." Sometimes I think, "Well, I'd like to have no opinion." I'm looking at 39 other artists who do not seem to have one I think I could just put selfies in place.

What do you hope the fans leave the most at? LoveLoud festival?

Reynolds : I hope everyone has the impression that there is a place at the table for them. The urgency around this issue is so serious. We are losing our LGBTQ youth to suicide, [and] depression and anxiety rates are skyrocketing. Until we change the culture … these statistics will not change. If our leaders do not change, people must change and they must speak louder.

Love is an empty word without total acceptance and without … telling your child or friend that they are beautiful and irreproachable in their sexuality. My hope is that everyone will leave with changed perspectives.

The LoveLoud festival powered by AT & T takes place Saturday in Salt Lake City.

Official partner of the LoveLoud festival, Lyft will donate $ 5 for each festival outing using the LOVELOUD code at the LoveLoud Foundation.