The California Supreme Court overturned a ban on same sex marriage today. This means that same gay couples in California can get married in the same way that opposite sex partners can. This makes California only the second state to leagalize gay marriage. Go California!
Do All Gay Guys Have Anal Sex? Do All Lesbians Use Dildos?
When it comes to same sex sex practices a lot of folks have a pretty limited idea of what goes on between the sheets. Many people assume that all gay guys have anal sex, and that all lesbians use dildos (sex toys designed for penetration). And while plenty of gay guys enjoy anal, and plenty of lesbians use dildos, a whole lot of others don't!
Some gay guys just aren't into anal. They might enjoy oral sex with a partner, mutual masturbation, body rubbing or role play. And while some lesbians use sex toys like dildos, others aren't into penetration at all. Oral sex and body rubbing might be more their thing.
Just as with any group of people, there is a huge range of sexual activity that gay men and lesbians participate in, including being celibate and not having sex at all!
Probably the most common question I get on this site is, "How Do I Meet Other Gay Teens?"
One good way is to check out the forums section of this page. On the forums you can post a message, join a discussion or start your own. Plus, it's a great place to get advice from teens going through similar issues.
Here is some more information on meeting gay teens:
I told my friend that I was gay and he told me that he had been gay too but he took some counseling that made him straight. I don't believe that he is straight because he told me that he still thinks about guys and that he has to force himself to think about different things whenever he thinks about them. He was told that homosexuality was caused by trauma as a child. They also told him that if he acted on his homosexual wishes that he would go to Hell. I believe that we are all born however we are born. They told him that we are all born straight and are made gay my trauma as a child or other influences. I don't even think he likes girls sexually. I don't want him to live his life lying to himself. The way he's going he's going to end up alone.
Do you guys have any advice on what I should tell him. I don't think he's very happy trying to force himself to be something he's not. I found some articles on the internet that say that you are born gay and one that shows him that God made him gay because it was part of his plan. Anything else I could show him or tell him? Thanks in advance.
Do you have any advice? If so you can give it here.
I asked readers who participated in last month's Day of Silence to tell me how it went for them. Below are two very different experiences.
From Greg:
My school had the event. even though they didn't “host” it. it was a very peaceful event. we had free hugs in the quad during lunch. there really wasn’t any issues with students arguing about the day...i was very pleased at how the student body didn’t react as they have in previous years.
From Jennifer:
me and my friends at school took part in the national day of silence and it was all pretty much ok until i got to art class(4th period) then it all went down hill because i just recently came out i wasnt use to the harassment that i was in store for me when i got there. i obviously wasnt talking and thats not like me so they asked me why(i hadnt come out to this people,didnt see the reason why they needed to know) i handed them one of the sticky notes with the reason on it and a few people were ok with and still talk to me to this day but this one girl went crazy! she started cussing me out and saying i was disgusting and i should die and im going to hell, things i was expecting. i was just kind of surprised that someone could be so cruel and mean. and in 3rd period i wrote it on the board so everyone one would know and my teacher had no problem but when the people walked in they were all like eww except the guys. i was really surprised at how many people were surprised that i was doing this because im always talking and cracking jokes but i was quite all day.
If you want to share your experience I'd love to hear about it. Feel free to email me at gayteens.guide@about.com, or leave your thoughts in the comments.
According to the organization, Equality California, "California could become the first state in the nation to designate a day specifically commemorating a leader of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. The Assembly Education Committee today approved legislation that would establish May 22 as Harvey Milk Day in California."
In the 1970's, Harvey Milk became the first openly gay man to be elected to a political position in the United States. Milk was aware that being out about his sexual orientation could be risky, yet he refused to pretend to be something he was not. Tragically, Milk, along with the then major George Moscone, was murdered by a self proclaimed anti-gay conservative, and fellow politician.
If the bill passes, one day a year will be set aside to remember Milk. Schools will be encouraged to discuss Milk's life and legacy and GLBT teens will see that their communities recognize and value the contributions and sacrifices of its gay members.
Award for Teen Producer Covering Issues Facing Urban Gay Youth
Last Saturday, Girls Inc., an organization dedicated to youth development and fighting gender stereotyping of girls,
honored 18-year-old Leilani Hopson with their Women Who Dare Award. Leliani is a high school senior in Oakland, California who used her role as a media producer at Youth Radio to address the, "treatment of urban homosexual youth and teen-on-teen violence and its impact on Oakland."
Leilani told her local paper, "My friend who's gay, we went to a party together in West Oakland, and she got robbed and had a gun pointed against her head because she didn't want to talk to some guy...There are small numbers of people who just don't like gayness and will take violent actions because of your sexuality and how you express yourself. It's really dangerous for men, because of the macho thing out here."
Leilani's fellow awardees were honored for their work with youth government and female empowerment.
Principal Who Outed Students Called on to Change Policies
Last September, Memphis, Tennessee principal Daphne Beasley instructed teachers to provide her with lists of all the couples at school. Her rational? Doing so would help her cut down on what she saw as excessive public displays of affection.
After receiving the lists, she then posted the names of all the couples! On the list was a gay couple who had not previously been out about their relationship or sexual orientations. As a result, the entire school, as well as the boys' parents, discovered that they were gay.
One of the boys told his local news station, "I really feel that my personal privacy was invaded. I mean, Principal Beasley called my mother and outed me to my mother!"
Additionally, the boys were subject to verbal harassment and weren't allowed to go on a school trip to New Orleans to rebuild houses, because their teacher claimed they "would "embarrass" the school by engaging in gay affection."
Last week the ACLU took action and sent a letter to Memphis city schools, explaining that the boys' rights had been violated. The letter also sought a change in school policies about student privacy, and asked for disciplinary action to be taken against the principal.
A recent study just found that the majority of GLBT teens envision themselves partnered and parenting as adults.
"Researchers found that more than 90% of females and more than 80% of males expect to be partnered in a monogamous relationship after age 30. About 67% of males and 55% of females expressed the desire to raise children."
This might not come as a big shock to you, but it will be a surprise for those people who hold some pretty tired stereotypes about GLBT community. One of the most common is that all gay men are promiscuous, and have no interest in long term relationships. Hopefully, studies like this one will help put notions like that to rest.
It's pretty much a given that the teen years can be rocky ones. The transition to adulthood can offer additional challenges for gay teens. That's why you might want to know about the GLBT Youth Talkline.
The Talkline is a free national number, 1-800-246-PRIDE, availiable to GLBT youth up to 25. It is staffed by peer counselors who are trained to give information about a lot of the issues that might come up in your life.
Though the internet has provided a lot of resources and links to community for gay teens, sometimes talking to a real live person just can't be beat!
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