Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds slams conversion therapy during Billboard acceptance speech
The rock band won the To Rock Artist award during the ceremony on May 1
By Steve Brown
Words: Steve Brown
Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds used his Billboard Music Award win to slam gay conversion therapy.
Reynolds – who was raised in a Mormon household – has been an outspoken supporter of the LGBTQ community and has often used his celebrity position to hit back at the so-called gay conversion therapy.
Last night (May 1), the singer – who was joined by bandmates Wayne Sermon, Ben McKee and Daniel Platzman – won the Top Rock Artist award at this year’s Billboard Music Awards and used his acceptance speech to call out the archaic ‘therapy’.
He said: “There are 34 states that don’t ban conversion therapy.
“Our LGBT youth have doubled the rate of depression, tripled the rate of suicide after conversion therapy. It’s not working and needs to change.”
.@Imaginedragons take home this year’s #BBMAs Top Rock Artist! 🤘 pic.twitter.com/Zwnfh2nHme
— Billboard Music Awards (@BBMAs) May 2, 2019