Here is some food for thought this weekend:
In many ways, GLBT teens have it a lot harder than straight teens when it comes to dating. It can be more challenging to meet potential partners, you might have to hide a relationship from your parents and friends, and going out publicly could expose you to homophobic reactions.
That being said there are also some benefits. A big one is that you don't have to play by old fashioned gender rules that say a guy has to be the one to ask a girl out, pay for everything and then make the first move sexually.
When two guys, or two girls go out, they have a lot more freedom than their straight peers. Relationships can more easily be egalitarian and you can chart new territory when you aren't bogged down by old fashioned expectations of what a date should involve!
Read More About Dating and Meeting Other GLBT Teens:
Image (c) Philip LeRoyer
As someone who uses the internet to connect with teens via this site, I was heartened by a new study confirming something I have long suspected: bullying by peers, not online predators are the real threat facing teens online.
According to today’s New York Times:
A task force created by 49 state attorneys general to look into the problem of sexual solicitation of children online has concluded that there really is not a significant problem.
The findings ran counter to popular perceptions of online dangers as reinforced by depictions in the news media like NBC’s “To Catch a Predator” series…The panel, the Internet Safety Technical Task Force, was charged with examining the extent of the threats children face on social networks like MySpace and Facebook, amid widespread fears that adults were using these popular Web sites to deceive and prey on children. But the report concluded that the problem of bullying among children, both online and offline, poses a far more serious challenge than the sexual solicitation of minors by adults.
That isn’t to say that there is no risk to teens from online predators. In fact, gay male teens may be at greater risk than any other group. But like so many other risks, the real problems teens face are not always those that get the most attention.
As a result, parents who are afraid of cyberstalkers, not to mention the possibility of a teen coming across internet porn, will often go to great lengths to monitor a teen’s internet use.
Often, this is done using internet filters. A 2005 study conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project of youth between 12 and 17 and their parents found that 54% of internet-connected families now use some sort of filter or monitoring software.
Many families view filters the same way they view movie ratings: as a reliable way to determine what is and is not appropriate for a young person to see. But internet filters are not the same as movie ratings. One of the regularly cited problems with filters is that they filter indiscriminately.
Some teens complain that filters make it tough to research reports for school. Searches for things like AIDS, breast cancer and even sexual orientation are often excluded when computer use is filtered. Others feel that in addition to the problems created by filter technology, filtering is a form of censorship.
So if filters aren't the answer, what is? Basically, family communication about these issues. Of course, that is a tall order for a lot of people. But to get you started, you could forward the New York Times article to your folks. If nothing else, they'll probably be pleased that you are reading the newspaper...
How do your parents handle your Internet use? Do they monitor what sites you visit? Do they install filters?
For a lot of gay teens the idea of coming out to mom and dad is terrifying. Teens worry about being rejected or even abused, and while this definitely has happened, the results aren't always terrible. In fact, in many cases parents are really supportive when teens come out.
As a teen named Jay says:
My dad was ok with me being gay. He knew before I told him and was still ok with it. But I honestly wish [my parents] would have told me that they knew I was gay so I wouldn't have had to worry.
Read more teens' experiences coming out to their parents!
Here is some other information that might be helpful for teens thinking about coming out to their parents:
Image (c) a.u.s.t.i.n
