is it easier to be gay today?
Unpublished post, originally written 12/24/08 for my now defunct state of sex education blog on gURL.
Kids are coming out as gay and lesbian younger than ever before. This has benefits and drawbacks. Though many teens no longer have to live a lie, GLBT youth are still likely to be victims of both physical and verbal harassment.
Indeed, a study done by the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network found that nine out of ten GLBT teens had been bullied for their sexual orientation. Equally disturbing are the facts that young men who have sex with men are contracting AIDS in huge numbers, and that GLBT teens are three times more likely to attempt suicide than are their straight peers. Additionally, a high number of young GLBT teens have been victims of sexual assault, and many have significantly older partners.
Is this a crisis. Yes. Is life worse for gay teens today than it used to be? No.
For all the challenges queer teens face, today’s world also presents them with opportunities impossible to imagine even a decade ago. Despite the setbacks of California’s Proposition 8, gay marriage is a reality for the first time ever.
Hollywood has moved from showing gays only as pathetic or predatory to portraying them in a range of multidimensional roles. Combine this with the fact that GLBT teens now have access to gay/straight alliances, community programs and Internet support, and we have a much more encouraging future to offer queer youth.
But that’s just my opinion. What do you think? Is it easier to be a GLBT teen today than it was in the past?
