“Am I?!”
By Kiera

Many young people think that if you even look at a person who is the same sex as you, then you must be gay. But what they don’t understand is that understanding your sexuality is a process. Sexuality can be even more confusing to teenagers who feel they don’t have anyone to talk to. They might hesitate to talk to their friends because their friends might label them gay, bi, or weird; their friends might also tell others, leading to embarrassments and misunderstandings. A young person may not feel comfortable talking to their parents, either, because their parents may not believe them or may not support them. It is very common for someone who is questioning their sexuality to feel confused and alone. However, there are people and resources out there to help.

For young women of color there are additional challenges to being lesbian, bisexual and/or coming out. Unlike racial stereotypes, which family and ethnic communities can reframe in a positive light, many ethnic minority communities reinforce negative cultural perceptions of homosexuality. Up to 46% of GLTBQ youth of color report experiencing physical violence related to their sexual orientation. Nearly 45% of youth in one survey were verbally harassed in school regarding both sexual orientation and race/ethnicity.

GLBTQ youth in modern Native American communities may face humiliation and violence because of their sexual orientation and/or gender expression. In many Latino communities, machismo and Catholicism contribute to homophobic attitudes that hamper efforts to reach Latino gay and bisexual youth with HIV prevention information. Asian Americans and Pacific Islander GLBTQ youth may feel that they have shamed their families when they diverge from cultural expectation to marry and have children. African American GLBTQ youth often face discrimination by both white gay communities and homophobic black communities.

People can realize their sexual orientation and gender identity at any point during their lives. Many simply grow up knowing, while some come to understand their identity and orientation later in life. It is important to note that nothing someone encounters in life can ‘make’ one gay, lesbian or bisexual. Although events in a person’s life can be catalysts toward self-discovery, sexual experience is not necessary for anyone to understand their sexual orientation.

So if you ever feel that you’re questioning your sexuality, talk to people you trust, and/or check out the resources on the web or in your community. But remember, either way it’s your life, and you have to live with yourself at the end of the day, not anybody else.

For more information

• Advocates for Youth,provides great information about sexual health issues as well as a fact sheet about GLBTQ youth to give to school personnel and/or parents.
• Youth Resource, a Web site created by and for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (GLBTQ) young people 13 to 24 years old, takes a holistic approach to sexual health by offering support, community, resources, and peer-to-peer education about issues of concern to GLBTQ young people. Youth Resource has four focus areas: health, advocacy, community, and issues in our lives.
• Youth Guardian Services is a youth-run, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides support services on the Internet to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning, and straight supportive youth.
• Ambiente Joven, (in Spanish) by and for Latino GLBTQ youth
  

References:
• Advocates for Youth. The Facts: GLBTQ Youth, 2005.
• Advocates for Youth. Frequently Asked Questions about Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, 2005.