Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues - Gay Teenagers and the Internet Essay

Gay Teenagers Need the Internet      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Internet serves as a platform for gay teens to express their feelings and concerns about being gay. Beyond the pornography on the Net there are also valuable and useful resources that gay teens can take advantage of. But why are these teens t using to the Internet for support? Most of the teenagers questionned for this discussion indicated that parents are not supportive of a homosexual way of life.    Most people would agree that adolescent years are some of the toughest in a persons' life. Teens are getting to know themselves sexually and learning about the world around them. While participating in a gay teen chat room, it was obvious that many g ays teens felt isolated and confused about their sexuality and turned to the Internet for advice. Unfortunately, most of the information on the Net pertaining to the gay community consists of pornographic pictures and chat rooms with dialogue full of gra phic sexual detail. Just type the word "gay" in any search on the Net it hundreds of links to x-rated sites will appear. This, of course, is not suitable for a young gay teenager in need of support. Fortunately, amongst all the porn there are wonderful sites that provide support, answer questions, and provide links to other helpful resources.    Many organizations and support groups use the Internet as their main source for posting information about gay and lesbian issues. Organizations like PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesb ians and Gays) provide education and support for gay teens, as well as gay adults. Branches of PFLAG can be found all over the United States. Each of these branches can be accessed through the PFLAG Web site. The site is full helpful links ... ...y to turn to for support.    Works Cited Bell, A.P. and Weinberg, M.S. "Homosexualities: A Study of Human Diversity". New York: Simon & Schuster, 1978. Conroy, Theresa. "Gay Teen Fights to Educate Tormenters." Philadelphia Daily News. 2 Jan. 1996. http://www.critpath.org/rhea/bmurray.htm (23 Apr. 1998). Gibson, P. "Gay Male and Lesbian Youth Suicide, Report of the Secretary's Task Force on Youth Suicide", U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1989. Parents, Families, and Freinds of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). Home page. http://www.pflag.org/ (22 Apr. 1998). Remafedi G. "Male Homosexuality: The Adolescent's Perspective." Pediatrics, 79: 326-330, 1987. We Are Family (WAF). Home Page. http://www.waf.org/ (22 Apr. 1998). Youth Assistance Organization (YAO). Home page. http://www.youth.org/ (27 Nov. 1996).