For many teens the decision to come out is huge. So the more help the better! Here you can read and share coming out tips!
Have you ever heard that bisexuals are just going through a phase? Or that someone who is bi can never be satisfied with just one partner, or is inherently promiscuous? If you believe that these ideas are true, you might want to think again!
If you are a GLBT teen, you probably know how important the Internet can be in answering questions about your sexual orientation or gender identity. For many gay teens it's the go to place for everything from health information, to finding emotional support, and meeting other GLBT teens.
But did you know, you can also go to school online? Or find a doctor? Or talk to a suicide prevention counsellor? Here are some great online resources GLBT teens should know about...
Image (c) Steve Rhodes
For a lot of teens, feminism is practically another "f-word," something that they don't want to be associated with. But feminism is an important ideology and one that more teens, both GLBT and hetero, might embrace if they had a clearer understanding of what it is and what it isn't.
But just so you know, if you believe that people should not be discriminated against on the basis of their gender, then you might be a feminist! Keep reading...
What do you think of the feminist label? Would you call yourself a feminist? Let us know why or why not in the comments...
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Image (c) Jay Morrison
April is STD Awareness month. For sexually active GLBT teens, this is a good excuse to go get tested!
Even though 1 in 4 people will contract an STD before they are 25, a lot of youth have never had an STD test. But getting tested for everything from HIV to chlamydia is important, and gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender teens can can get STD tests a number of different ways, including through a family doctor, teen clinic or department of health. You can read about other teen's experiences of getting tested here, or leave your own...
The CDC has also created this great widget to help you find testing locations. If you live in the States, just punch in your zip code and you are good to go!
Related:
While Tennessee is trying to pass a law nicknamed "Don't Say Gay" that would ban teachers from discussing GLBT issues in the classroom, California might become the first state to require teachers to cover GLBT issues and history in social studies classes!
The bill has been approved by the Senate and is supported by the California Teachers Association, and the Los Angeles and San Francisco school districts. It still needs the support of the governor and state Assembly.
Hopefully, a state that has already created a day honoring the first openly gay politician in the United States, Harvey Milk, will also pass this measure.
Not surprisingly, however, not everyone is getting on board. For example, the The Traditional Values Coalition claims that supporters of GLBT rights, "Will not rest until the state forcibly institutes widespread acceptance of the homosexual, bisexual, and transgender lifestyles." And the anti-gay organization Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX) claims, "The homosexual movement sees [the bill] not only as a model for legislation across the country, but as a way to force homosexuality and transgenderism past parents into the minds of children."
But as any GLBT teen or ally knows, far from secretly slipping a gay agenda to innocent kids, such a bill could actually go a long way to creating a safe and accepting atmosphere in schools.
Have any of you ever formally learned about GLBT issues at school? What was that like?
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