The Gay Teen Revolution

Summer Storm is not one's typical teen romantic comedy. The German-made film is sweeping into North American movie theatres this month. It features Tobi, an awkward teenage boy, falling in love with Achim, his best friend, at a summer rowing camp. He is befriended by Leo, a handsome boy who rows with the Queer Schlag, a team composed of all gay boys. A heart wrenching and melancholic coming of age tale ensues, in which Tobi must come to terms with his homosexuality. Marco Kreuzpaintner's beautiful motion picture and others like it are paving the way for the first wave of resilient and proud gay youth, in proportions never fathomed. Recent media exposure, growing support groups, the internet, and changes in popular opinion have created a new generation of gay teens who are coming out sooner to a more accepting society.

Valerie Korinek discusses in her article "Don't Let Your Girlfriends Ruin Your Marriage: Lesbian imagery in Chatelaine Magazine" some of the struggles that lesbian women and gay men have faced in the twentieth century. Korinek explains that in the 50's and 60's, "the portrait of homosexual was usually negative...neurotic and immature" (Korinek 349). Homosexual behaviour was regarded as deviant and perverted. Chatelaine Magazine even published an article in 1956 entitled "How to Protect your Children from Sex Deviates." (Korinek 346)

Young lesbians, and similarly gay males, are perhaps most vulnerable to this type of portrayal. Struggles facing a young gay person have proven extreme. Girls and boys who question their sexuality at early ages almost always face emotional stress, consuming confusion, and severe discrimination. It is no wonder that in past decades, so few have come out before their twenties. On top of the pressure of daily life as a teenager, homosexual youth must deal with countless other issues as they enter an unaccepting society that in large hates them for who they are. The US Department of Health and Human Services reported in 1989 that gay and lesbian teens account for over 30% of completed teen suicides. (Gibson 2) Gay and lesbian youth have been estimated to be 5 times more likely to attempt suicide than their straight peers. (Gibson 4) Gay teens are often disowned by their families, and some estimate that 40% of homeless youth are gay or lesbian. (Bohley)

According to the US Department of Justice, "homosexuals are probably the most frequent victims of hate crimes in the Unites States." (Pollack) This is exemplified in the case of 22 year old Matthew Shepard. Shepard, of Laramie Wyoming was brutally beaten, tied to a fence and left to die because he was openly gay. His funeral was picketed by religious radicals bearing signs such as "Matt Shepard rots in hell." Three motion pictures including "The Laramie Project" were made in his honour. Another example, Jamie Nabozny of Wisconsin endured constant abuse in high school due to his homosexuality. "Jamie was mock-raped in a classroom, urinated upon in a bathroom, and kicked so badly that he required surgery to stop the internal bleeding," according to the American School Board Journal (Jones). School officials told Nabozny that being a homosexual he should come to expect such treatment. After changing schools, Nabozny sued the school district and won $900 000 in damages. Moreover, the big fear of AIDS looms over the heads of all gay youth, as HIV prevalence among gay men is many times higher than their straight counterparts. Over 3/4 of new HIV cases among men are homosexuals. (Fox)

Times are changing. More liberal views of homosexuals are becoming popular. After the Stonewall riots in New York in 1969 , gay rights movement developed. Homosexuals, it seemed, were the only minority group still legally and socially marginalised. The Advocate, now the largest gay magazine on the planet, was founded in the early 70's, and preached acceptance of sexual minorities. New research by prominent psychologists upheld that gay men and women are not diseased, defected at birth, or contagious to others. Dr Patricia Fry of Yale University has concluded "Homosexuals are, in fact, absolutely normal human beings with the one exception of being physically and emotionally attracted to members or the same sex." (Fry). The public is finally starting to realise that the majority of gays are decent people, who go to work every day and are pleasant neighbours who keep their lawns mowed and their shrubs trimmed. Moderate religious groups are frequently welcoming gays and lesbians. Governments world-wide are granting more and more rights to homosexuals and courts are upholding verdicts in their favour. Perhaps the greatest role has been played by the media, increasingly giving homosexuals a voice and preaching not only tolerance, but acceptance.

These recent popular changes in attitudes towards homosexuals have had profound impacts on gay youth. On October 10th, 2005 , Time Magazine ran a controversial front cover story on "The Battle Over Gay Teenagers" by John Cloud. It described an emerging gay support system becoming more widely accessible to gay teenagers: groups like PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Gays and Lesbians) and GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network), are increasing their presence in high schools. The White Ribbon Campaign, run by PFLAG, has as it's mission statement "raising awareness about Gay Teen Suicide and remembering those we've lost." (Bohley) Student-run Gay-Straight Alliances number 3000 in the United States, nearly 1 in 10 schools, and most notably gay charities such as The Point Foundation are giving generous scholarships to young gay students. Cloud remarks "at many schools in the States it is now profoundly uncool to be seen as antigay." (Cloud 45)

Resources for gay youth have never been more prevalent. Gay youth themed books such as the award winning Rainbow Boys trilogy by Alex Sanchez are becoming best sellers. The magazine XY is tailored specifically toward gay boys, and features commentary from a gay teen perspective on politics and culture, as well as coming out stories and photo displays of young attractive boys. The advent of the internet has greatly benefited gay youth. Especially for those living in rural or conservative areas, websites such as younggayamerica.com and outproud.org have become invaluable refuges for sexually confused teens. In an existence

that was once confusing and lonely for gay youth, the internet has enabled youth to make friends and share their stories with other youth facing the same challenges. As Cloud points out, "one has only to google "coming out" for a myriad of advice pages." (Cloud 42)

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