I’m pretty sure that I am gay, but I have a really hard time finding people who are gay also. How can I go about meeting other gay teens like myself?
There are a number of organizations that support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) teens. Your school might even have a gay-straight alliance (GSA). A GSA is a group organized and led by students to create a safe, supportive, and accepting school environment for all. If you’re interested in learning more about gay-straight alliances or even starting one at your school, you can find lots of helpful information and guidance on The Gay-Straight Alliance Network website.
The web can also be a great way of connecting with people who share your interests — a source of community and support that may be hard for you to find in the “real world.” Some LGBTQ sites you might want to check out include planetout.com, advocate.com, and glbtqarchive.com.
Keep in mind that when communicating with others online, it’s important to be careful. Because there’s no face-to-face contact online, you can never be sure that people are who they say they are. That 17-year-old you’ve been chatting with for weeks could actually be a group of 11-year-olds messing with you — or even worse, a 49-year-old preying on unsuspecting teenagers. So make sure to put your safety first and don’t share identifying information about yourself online.
Tags: lesbian, bisexual, gay, questioning, sexual orientation, transgender