While Imagine Dragons lead singer Dan Reynolds has become the public face of the movement supporting the LGBTQ+ community within the Mormon faith, the decision by his bandmate, guitarist Wayne Sermon, and his wife, Alex Sermon, to publicly leave The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) carries a quieter, yet profoundly impactful, weight. Alex Sermon, a professional ballerina, became the voice that detailed the immense invisible pressures they faced as a family, affirming that the emotional cost of belonging could not outweigh their commitment to truth and their children’s freedom of thought.
Both Wayne and Alex Sermon were raised devoutly in the LDS Church, but “cracks” in their faith began to form, particularly as they observed the Church’s stance on social issues like the treatment of women and its homophobia. The pressure to maintain their faith was multifaceted: Alex, in particular, faced the reality of social ostracism and losing her established network, a painful consequence common to those who publicly leave. There was also the huge concern of disappointing their deeply religious families, along with the potential career impact on Wayne, a member of a globally famous band.
Despite these fears, they made the decision to prioritize their intellectual integrity and their commitment to raising their children with empathy and critical thinking. As Alex stated publicly, they embraced real humanism and real secularism as a more rewarding way to live life, demonstrating that morality and community exist vibrantly outside of religion.
Instead of simply releasing a statement, Alex and Wayne Sermon chose to sit down for a lengthy, multi-part interview on the Mormon Stories Podcast in October 2019. This was Alex’s moment to speak out, providing an essential perspective often missed: that of the partner who maintains the home and family structure. During the interview, Alex Sermon courageously spoke about the difficulties of the faith transition, which included grief and a “dark night of the soul.” Her voice was a steady affirmation that the decision was necessary to protect their family. The core of their message, which encapsulated the pain of their decision, was captured by the phrase that while they may have “lost friends, [they] found freedom.”
Alex’s “daring to speak out” publicly provided crucial support to Wayne, whose band had been increasingly vocal about LGBTQ+ rights. It affirmed the family’s authentic position, moving past any hypocrisy that might have resulted from supporting the LGBTQ+ community publicly while remaining quiet about their own internal conflict with the Church. The Sermons’ decision added considerable weight to the broader movement spearheaded by Dan Reynolds, highlighting that the struggle within the Mormon faith extended beyond the lead singer. Their story reinforced the message that leaving the Church was not an act of rebellion, but a deeply considered choice driven by a desire for truth, a higher moral commitment to equality, and the ability to raise children without the burden of shame and enforced conformity. By embracing the pain and publicly exposing the invisible pressures, Alex Sermon demonstrated that true courage is the ability to choose integrity over comfort, affirming that for her family, Truth matters more than belonging.