Dan Reynolds Wants to 'Celebrate Love' Through LOVELOUD — and He's Teaching His Kids to Do the Same (Exclusive)

"In my home, I really try to instill upon my kids that in this house we celebrate love, period," Reynolds, who founded LOVELOUD festival in 2017, tells PEOPLE

Dan Reynolds wants to create a safe space for LGBTQ+ youth.

Speaking to PEOPLE about the upcoming LOVELOUD festival, which the Imagine Dragons frontman founded in 2017, he opened up about how it's become his most meaningful work.

"It's been incredible to see the reception. I get letters almost every day, DMs, emails, from kids who came to LOVELOUD and who came out to their family at LOVELOUD," Reynolds, 36, tells PEOPLE.

He adds, "The amount of change that has been brought by LOVELOUD, it is really hard to quantify and calculate. It's amazing. Every day it feels like it's the most important work that I'm a part of."

Related: Imagine Dragons' Dan Reynolds Explains How He Reconciles Advocating for the LGBTQ Community with His Mormon Faith

This year will mark the festival's first time going on the road and expanding to different cities. The first stop will be in Washington on Oct. 17, then Salt Lake City on Nov. 3 and will wrap in Austin, Texas on Nov. 10.

"In the last few years, there's so much legislature that is really scary, that's setting us back, that's creating more divides and a riskier place for our LGBTQ youth," the "Radioactive" singer says. "A lot of our youth feel fearful, fearful of going to school, fearful of being out in the world in so many places in the U.S., especially in heavily Orthodox communities."

Adding, "Utah had the highest suicide rate amongst their teenagers. And those who are most at risk are LGBTQ youth. That's why we started in Utah. It was a community I knew that was having real issues. And I think LOVELOUD has made a great impact there. And now we're excited to bring it to other places in the States."

Reynolds — who was raised by a Mormon family in Las Vegas — had many friends growing up who felt "conflicted about their sexuality from a young age" because they were taught that their "innate sense of who to love was sinful."

"Growing up with friends like that and then getting to a position where I had a voice and have been given a lot of power and privilege... I met Tyler Glenn (Neon Trees bandleader), who I became really close with, who also grew up Mormon and didn't come out until later in his life after serving the Mormon mission."

Adding, "We came up with the idea together to start this festival to try to change the culture within Orthodox religions. And to help families know that it's not okay to not celebrate your LGBTQ youth. And in fact, when you're not doing that, you're setting your kid up for a life of just really devastating statistics."

Reynolds, who shares four kids with ex Aja Volkman, instills this message in his own home.

"If our youth are not being celebrated in the same way that our heterosexual youth are, we're setting them up for a disastrous life. If they feel that dagger behind the back of, 'I accept you, but I don't agree with...,' whatever it is that's going to come after that, that's what's really hurting our youth."

Related: Dan Reynolds Reveals Which Massive Imagine Dragons Hit Is His 'Least Favorite' to Perform Live

"So in my home, I really try to instill upon my kids that in this house we celebrate love, period. Whoever you might love, period. It's not 'we accept it, we tolerate,' it's 'we celebrate it.' And I think that distinction can be the difference between life and death," the "Bones" singer says, adding that his kids will be in attendance at the festival.

He concludes, "As extreme as that sounds... it's the difference of I accept you or I tolerate you and I celebrate you."

This year's festival lineup includes Reynolds, Glenn, Allison Russell, Lindsay Stirling, Victoria Monét, Cavetown, Chelsea Cutler, VINCENT and David Archuleta — along with local drag queens, speakers and LGBTQ+ talent and allies. "We really try to create a really diverse lineup and bring a lot of queerness to the stage," he says.

For tickets and more information on the festival, visit https://loveloudfest.com.

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Read the original article on People.