Neon Trees Front Man Comes Out, Inspired by Michael Sam

Lead singer of the Utah pop band Neon Trees Tyler Glenn came out as gay in a new interview for Rolling Stone that will hit shelves Friday.via CNN

"I've always felt like I'm an open book, and yet obviously I haven't been completely," Glenn told Rolling Stone. He then talks about his first same-sex experiences and his band's response to his coming out and dealing with being a Mormon.

The singer said that he's known he's been gay since a child but remained in the closet.

"I had my crushes on guys throughout high school, but it was never an overwhelming thing until my 20s," he said. "Then I'd be dating girls and in love with my straight friend and it was the worst feeling in the world."

He went on to discuss his church's views on being gay, saying "We were always taught, and I hate this world, 'tolerance.'"

"The only time that felt different was when the Prop 8 thing came up," he said about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints spending about $22 million to keep same-sex marriage out of California in 2008.

Glenn said he told his friends and family that he was gay in October 2013 - around the same time he was wrapping up writing songs for Neon Trees' third album "Pop Psychology," which will drop next month. He said some of the record's songs are about life in the closet but he added that celebrities, especially athletes, who have come out publicly, have inspired him.

"I really love all of the sports figures that are coming out recently," he told the magazine. "I appreciated (that) Michael Sam was like, 'I want to be able to go to the movies and hold hands with my boyfriend.' Even hearing him say 'boyfriend,' I was just like, that's cool."

Neon Trees' 2009 hit "Animal" peaked at No. 13 on Billboard's Hot 100 and "Everybody Talks" reached No. 6 in 2011.

The full story can be read over at Rolling Stone's website and watch the music video for "Everybody Talks" below: