The Advocate, a leading LGBT publication, spent some time with the artists of HEAVY AND LIGHT in Los Angeles last Saturday, and they’ve now posted parts of those conversations online here. Mary Lambert, Anis Mojgani, Tristan Prettyman, Jess Bowen of The Summer Set, Jon Foreman, and our founder Jamie all share how they connect to TWLOHA’s mission and why they feel its applicable to LGBT individuals—who, The Advocate points out, are, “statistically, 40 percent more likely than the general population to attempt suicide.”* We’re incredibly proud of the conversations that followed and grateful they could occur within the context of an event we love so much.
The Advocate also asked some questions about faith, specifically when talking with Jon Foreman, whose Christian beliefs are often woven throughout his music. The dialogue surrounding faith and the LGBT community can be a messy one, but TWLOHA hopes to be a space where it doesn’t have to be. Sometimes we’re asked if we are a Christian organization, as some of our friends, supporters, and origins are. The short answer is, we’re not— we believe issues like addiction, depression, self-injury, and suicide affect everyone, so we are an organization for everyone, regardless of age, gender, orientation, religion, race, ability, or any other differences. (If you want the longer answer, you can read it here in our FAQ.) The bottom line, as Jamie says in the article, is that “we all relate to questions— no matter what you believe, no matter who you love, no matter where you live, and what you listen to. “
We hope you’ll read the full article here, and if you’re able, we’d also love for you to join us in Orlando this Sunday, January 19, for our final HEAVY AND LIGHT show this year.
*A resource we often point to is The Trevor Project, an organization that offers crisis intervention and suicide prevention for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth. Like Mary Lambert shared in the article mentioned above, “Part of the difficulty with coming out and being honest with yourself is a willingness to communicate that to other people, and that can take years, if not an entire lifetime for some people to come to terms with.” So reach out. Speak up. And know you’re not alone.