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| Growing Up Gay By: Isabella Hecht Imagine that you are a gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender teenager and everyone else you know is straight. If that’s too hard, imagine that everyone else is gay, and you are the only straight person you know. Does it make you worried, or even scared that you are so different than everyone else? Would you be afraid to tell people, because they would judge you, or even hate you for being different? These are the kinds of feelings that GLBT teens struggle with every day. “GLBT teens are typical adolescents,” says Grace Sterling Stowell, the Executive Director of BAGLY (Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, & Transgender Youth), a youth-led, adult-supported social support group for GLBT teens and young adults. “They are struggling with the typical issues of growing up: family, friends, relationships etc, but with the additional challenges of having a sexual identity that is contrary to cultural norms.” It is very hard to develop a sense of self when the sense that these teens are developing goes against what the culture says they are supposed to be. There is always a stigma against those who are different. “If they come from religious backgrounds, their religions may be telling them that there is something wrong with them, which can be psychologically damaging to a teen’s development,” says Sterling Stowell. Many teens are afraid to come out to their families, when they don’t know whether they will be met with support or open hostility. They face challenges at school as well. They may not identify with what is being taught in the classrooms, and again come to the conclusion that there is something the matter with them. There may be a lack of GLBT role models at school, either teachers or friends, which can make them feel terribly alone. If there are others, they will see them harassed and bullied, and think it’s better if they don’t tell anyone. If they do come out to their classmates, they may face harassment and bullying in the forms of name-calling, threats, or even physical violence. It seems unsurprising that GLBT teens have higher rates of suicide due to the conditions they may face at home and at school. They are more likely to drop out of school, have unsafe sex, and contract HIV. Despite the challenges, says Sterling Stowell, “many young people are surprisingly resilient,” especially in the present day. The culture is changing to include GLBT role models in both politics and the media, which is, for stigmatized youth, an affirmation of identity. Some teens are more fortunate than others in having supportive families and friends. There are growing numbers of social justice organizations like BAGLY which offer support, openness and friendship. While GLBT teens still face more challenges than others, things are getting better for them, due to the support of new social groups, and the rising awareness and understanding of others. |
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