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.

John Dehlin and Lindsay Hansen Park interview Mica McGriggs, Samy Galvez, and Tinesha Zandamela about race relations in the Mormon church, and their experiences growing up as people of color in a predominately white church.

In this special episode of Mormon Stories podcast Lindsay Hansen Park (Sunstone, Year of Polygamy, Color of Heaven) interviews Edyka Chilome about Mormons and Colonization.  

Edyka's bio:

Edyka Chilomé, born Erica Granados - De La Rosa, is a queer woman of color writer, artist, social justice educator, and spiritual activist. She is the daughter of Salvadorian and Mexican spiritual, intellectual, and community leaders. Her many years of experience passionately walking and building with women, young people, and communities of color in the U.S. and Latin America have deeply informed her fusion of art, scholarship, and what she defines as her spiritual {art}ivism. Edyka has published numerous articles, essays, and poems including a collection of poetry that explores queer mestizaje in the diaspora entitled She Speaks | Poetry, praised by the founder of Democracy Now en Español as "...a must read for those yearning to discover new ways to open up to deep personal and global transformation." She has been invited to share her spoken word poetry and speak on social justice issues around the country including The Texas Democratic Convention, TEDx, National Public Radio, and the Huffington Post. Edyka currently serves on the steering committee for Human Rights Dallas and is an instructor for Free Minds Dallas at El Centro College, host of the presidential award winning initiative The National Clemente Course for the Humanities.  

When Race, Religion, and Sport Collide tells the story of Brandon Davies’ dismissal from Brigham Young University’s NCAA playoff basketball team to illustrate the thorny intersection of religion, race, and sport at BYU and beyond. Author Darron T. Smith analyzes the athletes dismissed through BYU’s honor code violations and suggests that they are disproportionately African American, which has troubling implications. He ties these dismissals to the complicated history of negative views towards African Americans in the LDS faith. These honor code dismissals elucidate the challenges facing black athletes at predominantly white institutions. Weaving together the history of the black athlete in America and the experience of blackness in Mormon theology, When Race, Religion, and Sport Collide offers a timely and powerful analysis of the challenges facing African American athletes in the NCAA today.

Dr. Darron T. Smith is a frequent political and cultural commentator on various issues of U.S. based issues of race, racism, and discrimination in forums ranging from Religion Dispatches, The New York Times and Chicago Tribune op-ed to ESPN's Outside the Lines. His research spans a wide myriad of topics on race including healthcare disparities, Religious studies, Race & Sports, and Race, Adoption and the Black Family. His current research focuses on health care workforce discrimination involving African American physicians and physician assistants. He is the co-author of White Parents, Black Children: Experiencing Transracial Adoption and co-editor of Black and Mormon. His current book, When Race & Religion Collide: Black Athletics at BYU and Beyond was released in 2015.

When Race, Religion, and Sport Collide tells the story of Brandon Davies’ dismissal from Brigham Young University’s NCAA playoff basketball team to illustrate the thorny intersection of religion, race, and sport at BYU and beyond. Author Darron T. Smith analyzes the athletes dismissed through BYU’s honor code violations and suggests that they are disproportionately African American, which has troubling implications. He ties these dismissals to the complicated history of negative views towards African Americans in the LDS faith. These honor code dismissals elucidate the challenges facing black athletes at predominantly white institutions. Weaving together the history of the black athlete in America and the experience of blackness in Mormon theology, When Race, Religion, and Sport Collide offers a timely and powerful analysis of the challenges facing African American athletes in the NCAA today.

Dr. Darron T. Smith is a frequent political and cultural commentator on various issues of U.S. based issues of race, racism, and discrimination in forums ranging from Religion Dispatches, The New York Times and Chicago Tribune op-ed to ESPN's Outside the Lines. His research spans a wide myriad of topics on race including healthcare disparities, Religious studies, Race & Sports, and Race, Adoption and the Black Family. His current research focuses on health care workforce discrimination involving African American physicians and physician assistants. He is the co-author of White Parents, Black Children: Experiencing Transracial Adoption and co-editor of Black and Mormon. His current book, When Race & Religion Collide: Black Athletics at BYU and Beyond was released in 2015.

This is a recording of my interview with Alex Cooper recorded on March 16, 2016 at Velour in Provo, Utah.  Alex Cooper, along with Dr. Joanna Brooks, are the co-authors of the new book Saving Alex.  Alex was accompanied in this interview by her attorney, Paul Burke.  We were also honored to have Tyler Glenn (Neon Trees) perform three musical numbers for us on this special night.  Audio/video from this interview can be found below.

A description of the book follows:

When Alex Cooper was fifteen years old, life was pretty ordinary in her sleepy suburban town and nice Mormon family. At church and at home, Alex was taught that God had a plan for everyone. But something was gnawing at her that made her feel different. These feelings exploded when she met Yvette, a girl who made Alex feel alive in a new way, and with whom Alex would quickly fall in love.

Alex knew she was holding a secret that could shatter her family, her church community, and her life. Yet when this secret couldn’t be hidden any longer, she told her parents that she was gay, and the nightmare began. She was driven from her home in Southern California to Utah, where, against her will, her parents handed her over to fellow Mormons who promised to save Alex from her homosexuality.

For eight harrowing months, Alex was held captive in an unlicensed “residential treatment program” modeled on the many “therapeutic” boot camps scattered across Utah. Alex was physically and verbally abused, and many days she was forced to stand facing a wall wearing a heavy backpack full of rocks. Her captors used faith to punish and terrorize her. With the help of a dedicated legal team in Salt Lake City, Alex eventually escaped and made legal history in Utah by winning the right to live under the law’s protection as an openly gay teenager.

Alex is not alone; the headlines continue to splash stories about gay conversion therapy and rehabilitation centers that promise to “save” teenagers from their sexuality. Saving Alex is a courageous memoir that tells Alex’s story in the hopes that it will bring awareness and justice to this important issue. A bold, inspiring story of one girl’s fight for freedom, acceptance, and truth.

This is a recording of my interview with Alex Cooper recorded on March 16, 2016 at Velour in Provo, Utah.  Alex Cooper, along with Dr. Joanna Brooks, are the co-authors of the new book Saving Alex.  Alex was accompanied in this interview by her attorney, Paul Burke.  We were also honored to have Tyler Glenn (Neon Trees) perform three musical numbers for us on this special night.  Audio/video from this interview can be found below.

A description of the book follows:

When Alex Cooper was fifteen years old, life was pretty ordinary in her sleepy suburban town and nice Mormon family. At church and at home, Alex was taught that God had a plan for everyone. But something was gnawing at her that made her feel different. These feelings exploded when she met Yvette, a girl who made Alex feel alive in a new way, and with whom Alex would quickly fall in love.

Alex knew she was holding a secret that could shatter her family, her church community, and her life. Yet when this secret couldn’t be hidden any longer, she told her parents that she was gay, and the nightmare began. She was driven from her home in Southern California to Utah, where, against her will, her parents handed her over to fellow Mormons who promised to save Alex from her homosexuality.

For eight harrowing months, Alex was held captive in an unlicensed “residential treatment program” modeled on the many “therapeutic” boot camps scattered across Utah. Alex was physically and verbally abused, and many days she was forced to stand facing a wall wearing a heavy backpack full of rocks. Her captors used faith to punish and terrorize her. With the help of a dedicated legal team in Salt Lake City, Alex eventually escaped and made legal history in Utah by winning the right to live under the law’s protection as an openly gay teenager.

Alex is not alone; the headlines continue to splash stories about gay conversion therapy and rehabilitation centers that promise to “save” teenagers from their sexuality. Saving Alex is a courageous memoir that tells Alex’s story in the hopes that it will bring awareness and justice to this important issue. A bold, inspiring story of one girl’s fight for freedom, acceptance, and truth.

In this Mormon Stories Live! episode recorded at Club/Cafe at 50 West on March 9, 2016, I interviewed Kate Kelly about the following:

• Life since her excommunication, including her divorce from Neil Ransom and her new relationship with Jack Waters.
• Thoughts on the Ordain Women movement -- past, present and future.
• Kate's new position with Planned Parenthood, which includes advocating for:
  • The basic role/function of Planned Parenthood
  • Women's Reproductive Rights (e.g., abortion)
  • Contraception and safe sex

Elizabeth Grimshaw was raised Mormon. She knew she was lesbian as a teenager, but spent her earl years (teens and 20s) attempting to date men and to marry a man. In her early 30s, after many attempts to be "straight," she came out as a lesbian, stopped attending the LDS church, and began dating women. Elizabeth found a committed partner 10 years ago, and married her partner 8 years ago. They are currently raising a daughter.

Even though Elizabeth has not attended an LDS congregation since her early 30s, she was recently approached by her bishop (whom she'd never met) in her driveway, and told that: 1) she needed to pray to God about whether or not to leave her wife and child, and that 2) if she wouldn't divorce her wife and child, that she would face excommunication from the LDS church. 

This is Elizabeth's story.

In this episode recorded February 17, 2016 we discuss the recent Utah Medical Marijuana legislation from the patient perspective.  This is a sobering, heartfelt, and extremely compelling panel.  

We also briefly discuss the medical/scientific justifications for medical marijuana, and LDS Church participation in attempting to defeat this legislation. 

Panel participants include: Enedina Stanger, Dallas Sainsbury, Aaron Campbell, Brian Stoll, Dr. Legrande Belnap, and activist David Kirkham

Huge thanks to DJ Schanz and Christine Stenquist for organizing this panel, and to Club/Cafe and 50 West for providing the venue and audio/visual services.