Things Gay Teens Ought to Know

[FadedGrenade]

I used 'gay' for the title, but I mean every teen who is LGBT+.

Yes, You're Old Enough to Know

People say that teenagers are too young to know their sexual orientation or whether or not they're in love. But they're old enough to be deciding what career and degree and life they want to have forever? How convenient.

Homophobic/Transphobic Parents are Not Okay

This might seem dumb, but I know lots of teens are criticized so much by their parents for being LGBT that they feel inadequate and horrible and wrong. But you're not wrong. Yes, your parents may have religious reasons or something, but they aren't valid reasons.

Your mother should not be able to say "I don't care the gender as long as the baby's healthy I will love them" before going into labour for 8+ hours but then 17 years later kick their daughter Jessica out of the house because she was born a Justin.

You're Valid

So what if you don't know what you are? So what if you're trans but don't pass as your gender? It doesn't make you any less LGBT. It doesn't matter what your label is. And if you do have a lot of labels? Well, congratulations on figuring yourself out!

Its okay to be confused. Its okay if you're a trans guy but used to identify as a lesbian, or a trans lesbian who used to identify as a gay cis guy. It's not uncommon for gay trans people to have felt gay before they knew they were trans. It doesn't mean you're faking or anything like that, and you're not alone.

It's fine to question your identity. You have your whole life to figure it out.

It's Okay to be In the Closet

Sure, it sucks pretending to be straight/cis, but sometimes it is necessary. Don't force yourself to come out if you live in an extremely homophobic community/family. It will make your life worse in the long run. Coming out should not be held as a higher priority than not getting kicked out of your house.

But please remember: To all the queer kids who are in the closet on a day that really focuses in on couples...it is not always going to be this way. Someday you're going to boldly hold hands with your partner on Valentine's Day and be cutesy cliche with candy hearts and flowers. You're going to be okay.

The road to LGBT has never been straight:)

[Pink934]

I'm sick hearing about LGBTGAGDHFJAJSHXYZ

Give us all a break. You're all over the news. You're shoving all your 'rights' in my face. Constantly crying about how you're so hard done by.

This is all just one big political agenda... wake up! Want to cull a population? Convince all of those who might be a little/confused and impressionable to come out of the closet. SNAP. Population problem solved.

And you all think it's your own choice, maybe take a look at your society, propaganda and government and you'll see they've opened every trap door for you.

[Pink934]

Furthermore? If I or anybody else wanted to be gay? We could make that CHOICE.

[Nattybaby]

Exactly, well said :)

[Pink934]

@Nattybaby I'm glad someone agrees :)

[Nattybaby]

Of course, I'm so annoyed with their shit they throw at everyone, and then say we throw shit at them when in reality we dgaf..

[ladsin]

Thanks for sharing. More kids need to know they're accepted

[Political_dude]

You've kids?

[ladsin]

@Political_dude Haha god no. I want some later, but I'm far too young for all that nonsense. I've worked with a lot of children though who've been victimized for their sexuality/ gender-status, and many who were depressed/ suicidal because they weren't accepted by the people who are supposed to love them most.

[Political_dude]

Is that your job? Or part of your job?

[ladsin]

@Political_dude It was/is. I used to work at a locked-door psychiatric facility which was very hands on. We had floors for geriatric, child/adolescent, general adult, and high acuity patients. I worked on all the floors with a wide variety of people.

Since I moved across the country I am now working at a youth home for children/ adolescents who've been displaced, basically for one reason or another they've no home to go to.

[madhatters4]

great take. hopefully both LGBT and non-LGBT teens see this

[NeglectedChild]

https://i.imgur.com/CoWZ05t.gif
The philosophy of "being gay" is extremely flawed and problematic when it is taken beyond the confines of a simple dictionary definition and when morphed into an entire identity that dictates your life.
And not to mention unnecessary.

Simply recognising a characteristic you have such as being an introvert is completely fine but morphing it into an ideology is ridiculous.

Pressuring young people into these ill-defined, arbitrary and divisive groups and further sub groups, indirectly forcing them to adopt an identity which dictates their sexual behaviour alienates and confuses them and can be harmful and poses many problems.

You're a human being, that's good enough. You don't need a post modernist socially construed identity to have self worth or to be valid as a person.

Gay pride is also quite silly. Assuming you're born gay, what is there to be proud of? How can you be proud of something you have no control over (supposedly)? And if this pride is due to persecution, then those who have not faced persecution have no reason to be proud.

Don't tell kids to disobey their parents, kids don't know shit, they're naive and immature. "Religious reasons or something are not valid reasons? How so?

Also the T should not be part of LGB, it's a completely different issue and is not solely based on same sex attractions.

[HungLikeAHorsefly]

The whole LGBT+ thing happened because society doesn't treat people as human beings who are good enough. It has taught people that they *do* have control over sexual orientation and that they should be ashamed of not being straight. That's where Gay Pride comes in - turning shame into pride.

Have you not been listening for the past 20 years?

[NeglectedChild]

@HungLikeAHorsefly There is no consensus on whether or not you have control over your sexual desires. It would appear, I'm not saying that it is definite, that you're not born gay and that you can change your sexual orientation because some people have. Any questioning of this phenomena is met with harsh backlash.

Being gay is not an achievement therefore there's no reason to be proud. You can be content but not proud. And again, if someone has not suffered shame, then they have no reason to include themselves amongst those who are proud.

Also I find ridiculous when people claim gays were being discriminated against in terms of marriage. Gays have always the right to get married, to the opposite sex.
Gay marriage not being recognised my government does not constitute discrimination.
And It's also absurd to compare gay marriage to interracial marriage in the US because black people were viewed as racially inferior. Homosexuality was at one point seen as an illness but an illness 1/2

[NeglectedChild]

@HungLikeAHorsefly... an illness does not necessarily make you inferior as a human being.

[HungLikeAHorsefly]

Well, the consensus of the scientific community is that regardless of where it comes from, people do not choose to be gay. That said, for the vast majority of our society's history gay people have been shamed. Gay Pride is just a mechanism by which homosexual people fight back at that shaming.

[NeglectedChild]

@HungLikeAHorsefly What scientific community? There are many scientific communities all over the globe all with various positions.

Gay pride is practically useless.

[HungLikeAHorsefly]

Oh, sorry - I should have clarified. I was referring to the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association. These are basically the authorities when it comes to this subject, for the United States.

Now your turn - tell us a couple of groups of scientists who think it's a choice.

[shessoheavy]

Social constructs have real effects. Self inflicted wounds are still wounds nonetheless. Homophobia, racism, sexism, etc. are some of society's self inflicted wounds that are rooted in established norms that fail to incompetence the range of human diversity. That and the shittyness of terrible people.

You are right in saying that that problem lies in what has been socially constructed as norms. However, you are wrong if you think the effects are any less real. Acceptance of people's differences can only lead to the total end of things like homophobia, then and only then can the labels be disregarded. However, until said time "gay" people are going to have navigate the world as it is for them are treating it like a social utopia that it just isn't yet won't help. "gay" people don't let homophobia affect their lives, it just that it really does affect their lives.

[Nattybaby]

Nobody says your not a valid person, nobody really says anything about y'all. You do whatever YOU want, but don't be trying to confuse kids further, or be as vulgar and gross as some or most lgbt+ are. Can y'all just go live whatever lifestyle u want without trying to make some sort of statement about acceptance, because frankly, every person has their opinions, and can decide for themselves about anything and everything, because they're adults. But definitely leave kinds out of everything. Your not born gay, you were born hearing something that made u want to be gay.

[FadedGrenade]

you dont have to be called invalid to feel invaldi

[DaniaMQ]

Okay, bullying anyone is wrong. Homosexual or not. That's clear.

But, same as gay people have the right to not want to be straight, we have the right to not want to be lesbians/gays.
Same as we can't say "your love is invalid and not real ", you can't say our reasons are invalid, because to us they are valid and real. As simple as that. To each their own. If you don't accept homosexuality as an idea, it doesn't mean you're homophobic.

Im Not with homosexuality but I would NEVER harm anyone for being like that. Hell, I wouldn't even make them feel like they are anything other than human. But don't force me to accept it cos I won't.

They can't be forced to be straight and, straight people can't be forced to be gay or accept it. (that DOESN'T mean we can harm each other in any way tho)

[Curmudgeon]

"Yes, You're Old Enough to Know"

No, you're not.

"People say that teenagers are too young to know their sexual orientation or whether or not they're in love. But they're old enough to be deciding what career and degree and life they want to have forever? How convenient."

Whoever said they were ready for that either? Careers don't really unfold until well in one's twenties... and that was starting to be true 30 odd years ago!

The fact remains: A Hell Of A Lot happens between 16 and 26. So when teenyboppers tell me "they know" they are gay, I roll my eyes. A hell of a lot of changes are a-coming. Just saying...

On the other hand, if you think you are gay at 25? Yah, you are.

[lilaqua]

See I disagree. I knew I liked boys from the age of 3. I don't see why gay teens would be any different. I think it's got more to do with the fluidity of sexuality as a whole but why does it matter, like a girl, like a guy does it have to matter?

[HungLikeAHorsefly]

Like everything else in life, it's possible to not know something about yourself until later in life. It's also possible to know it from the get-go. These two things aren't mutually exclusive. I think the OP's point is that if you know you're gay when you're young then you shouldn't doubt yourself. That doesn't mean everybody knows their orientation when they're a child.

Besides, who are you to tell someone else what their sexual orientation is? You aren't them, and you don't know.

[Political_dude]

I disagree about trans people. In my opinion it is possible to determine if you're gay or lesbian in teenage years but not if you're trans. I knew I like girls since I was 6 but teenage years are hella wavy. When I was 15, at some point I felt I'm a girl trapped in a male body but after 2 years now I'm damn sure I'm straight and it is impossible for me to even watch gay porn.

Those are static decisions. And of course if you say you're trans at that point then you'll go under gender surgery in which they also pump female Hormones in your body. So even if you're straight or slightly homo, you don't really have option or control over your sexual feelings

[Anonymous]

Gays, LGBT etc are no different than anyone else besides who they find attractive and what they wanna be classed as... simple. So since they are no different no big deal needs to be made. I get that there's bullys out there that love doing nothing besides bring people down but thats what all bullies do no matter what they are bullying you for. One thing i dislike about LGBT and gays is they tend to think because they are bullied for that particular reason makes them think its more serious/they need more support than someone bullied for their hair colour, weight, or personality! Everyone gets bullied, get off your fucking high horse if you think being bullied because your gay or LGBT deserves a medal. So if they wanna be equal or accepted then they gotta stop thinkimg they are different, i dont give two shits about Gays or LGBT people, my bestfriends gay he's on the exact same page as me, accept yourself and believe your no different if you wanna be equal period!

[JetBoy797]

I'm bisexual; I agree with here. Defining yourself as a victim will only hurt your further!

[Harsh_5299]

I'm straight and I find gay men and gay sex disgusting
And I don't mind if gay men find me or straight people disgusting in general

But to call me a "homophobe" over it is ridiculous...
Call the ones that openly hate and kill gays in 3rd world countries as homophobes and explain it to them
Not to people in civilized societies who are simply saying "I don't give a fuck if you're lgbtq+"

And since people like you want to implant their ideas on how parents must treat their kids, and when people like you sit in positions of authority and make it difficult for proper parenting and family life, no wonder parents don't want to raise kids or even have any... just look at the dropping birth rates

It's one thing to raise kids, it's another to constantly be careful about raising them because the government keeps sticking it's ugly nose into family business
That is Marxism at it's finest, which destroys the fundamental building block of society, which is a family

[Anonymous]

I HATE LGBT

you all follow satan like a bunch of dumb
asses

he wants you too be gay and you all fell for it
he is scared of the seed

Genesis 3
and GOD said to satan one of eves kids is gonna kill you

SO how can you stop that from happening convince people they are gay!!!

connect the dots dumb asses

ohhh and if you think GOD does not exist

Job 37:18
hast thou with him spread out the sky which is strong and as a molten looking glass

this is the real world you live in
cdn2.btrstatic.com/.../681203_AdTBmM56.jpg

GOD is right above us not far only a few miles
get with the program LGBT
I do not care about your feelings
they mean nothing to me
what matters is the truth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAcp3BFBYw4

[Revolver_]

Interesting

[bang678]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Opinion Owner]

@bang678

yup you are an idiot

[bang678]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😚😚.

[thatoneinabillion]

God created homosexuality.

[Opinion Owner]

@thatoneinabillion

hahahhaa you wish lol

[Smoothshave]

@thatoneinabillion
NO GOD DID NOT...

[Nattybaby]

no God didn't, but Satan did... he came to steal, kill and destroy... and honestly what's written in the bible about end times is absolutely adding up. I wish y'all woke up from your fantasies...

[Opinion Owner]

@Nattybaby

they don't want to hun
let them be stupid
those who have eyes will see
whats happening

[bang678]

🤣 😂 🤣 😂 🤣 .

[jokercard]

Nah we don't follow satan. He's apart of your storybook, remember?

[i_am_shyvana]

I personally do not see why some people discriminate against LGBT. I am not part of the community myself, but I, one, do not bat an eye to anyone who is, and two, don't give a fuck what sexuality you are. If you are a person, you deserve to live a happy, healthy life. The heart wants what it wants.

[grimtigress]

i really feel for those growing up in strict religious households. i mean some still accept them, but most don't. always thought the shit was contradicting and hypocritical, since most religions are meant to be acceptance and to help and love others. lol but that's only if criteria is met

[Kevinnnn]

Omg...
It depends on how much you don't like gays.
Being homophobic means to show that you hate them.
When you just don't want to be one, you're not homophobic.
When you don't like them, you're not homophobic.
When you hate them, you're a kinda homophobic.
When you bully gays in public, you're homophobic.
When you murder someone because he's gay, you're very homophobic.

It's so clear. Just read the definition 😒🙄

[ovoxo_]

I always find it funny how people like you dismiss others views as invalid only to ask these same people to accept yours and then call them homophobic/transphobic when they don't (the same way you referred to unaccepting parents).

Not supporting/being against LGBT is okay and shouldn't be forced down others throat like a religion.

[thatoneinabillion]

Exactly. As long as nobody is getting their rights violated nobody should care what others believe.

[ovoxo_]

Facts

[hise-DepartmenT]

It's odd how you believe people are born homosexual, yet people are also born as male and female too. So people are not born a transgender.

You equate that if they're born a homosexual, then that's right. That's how they're born.

What about you're born a male or born a female, so you're born right too?

[Anonymous]

I'm glad to see that you mentioned that it was OK to keep one's sexuality private. I have a friend who's lesbian but doesn't want her family to know. I've known her for a long time and it wa obvious to me (and I don't have a problem with it), but haven't said anything to her because it would make her feel uncomfortable.

[keenmind2007]

Self acceptance of who you are is good. As for the parents who don't believe that, it doesn't matter if they spent 8hrs or 8 days delivering you- there expectations is what overrides all at the end of the day.

[DJZest]

I wonder who people think they are to tell "in-the-closet gay peopl" that they are "valid" and "valuable" and so on. They aren't God, after all - just another guy/gal. Therefore, your opinion carries no weight (unless you're talking to somebody close to you, of course).

[jokercard]

God approves!

[lorenzomichael]

to the whole gay community if it is normal to be gay why do you think or feel you have to defend or explain yourselves to us non gays? Think about that? Let me answer that for you because it's wrong. Listen you'll never hear us explaining Or defending ourselves to anyone about our sexuality unless it's a gay person trying it hit on us. Get the fuck outta here...

[BaileyisDarcy]

We have to defend ourselves because bigots ATTACK us.

[Prof_Don]

As a teacher of teens, I know PLENTY of students that are LGBT. I have a transgender student & an openly gay student in my class as I type this!

Not a big deal

[Anonymous]

Ugh so dramatic. I'm gay but have trouble fitting into the lgbt community as in more of a hetrosexual who enjoys sex with men.
The lgbt to me seems more like a cult and a very ignorant intolerant one. I get into a lot of trouble with some over my political views and stuff and get accused of betraying the lgbt community. Honestly the lgbt can fuck off.