Weary of Bullies – Stand Up to Them

October 11, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Bullying is a problem that exists in virtually every single school. In fact, we can’t think of a school that doesn’t have a bullying problem. Of course, statistics can be brought in and said that some schools have less of a problem with bullying than other schools. But the truth is that you definitely still have a problem with bullies. You definitely still have to figure out how to deal with bullies. You can’t just hope and pray that everything is going to be all right. You have to make sure that you know what’s going on all the time, not just when you think everything’s okay. There’s no time like the present to really make sure that you have things covered.

You have to think about the bigger picture no matter what you do. You can’t get worked up about the bullying if you’re part of it. Are you lashing out at people that don’t agree with you? I know it’s not fair, but we can’t afford fair when we’re the ones that are “different”. We have to show that we’re willing to be more than tolerant of other people’s beliefs. We have to show that we’re willing to take the conversation to a higher level. Attitudes about gay marriage are changing, slowly but surely. DOMA being struck down was a major victory for us, but we still have some roads to walk down before we can really feel equal in the eyes of others. That’s the problem, isn’t it? We’re trying to show that we’re just as good as anyone else. This has positive and negative implications.
You have to think about how to stand up to bullies in your life. You’re not going to be the only person bullied. Far too often we forget that bullying affects everyone.

Bullying

If you really want to put an end to the bullies in your life, you have to stand up for yourself. This can be tough when you feel like it’s only going to make it worse. But what you may fail to realize is that if you don’t stand up to them, they’re going to keep trying to hurt you. They know that their words are getting to you, so guess what you’re going to get in return? More words, more anger, more hurt and more pain.

Bullies have often been bullied themselves. In essence, they’re trying to seek power. Plain and simple. They’re trying to get into a world where they can’t seem to get things moving in the right direction. They’re hurting and they want to try to figure out how to make the pain go away. It’s the way it is.

Pain begets more pain, more misery, more sickness, more sadness. It’s the way it is. Just when you think that you’re going to be spared, there’s more pain involved. It’s hurtful. But somewhere down deep, you will find a courage within to stand up to the bullies. Once you cut off their power, bullies realize that they have to go somewhere else. There’s nothing like waking up to a world where you have resources to deal with issues. It can hurt dealing with people that want to see you suffer, but that’s part of life.

We can’t shrink away from bullies. Although we’re writing for gay teens, we are past the teenager stage…and guess what? There are still bullies. Standing up to them isn’t easy, but they’re everywhere. And they can tell whether you’ll fight them or not. The small abuses you put up with today can easily morph into bigger issues that you’ll need to face later down the road. The more that you focus on this, the more likely it is that you’ll get the type of resolution that you’re really looking for. Good luck!

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Leave Your Worries Behind – You Have More Allies Than You Thin

October 3, 2013 by Leave a Comment

The world of a gay teen can be pretty stressful if we really think about it. You have so many different emotions going on at once. You want to be accepted, you want to be liked, you want to have friends, you want to make sure that you have people that you can rely on and trust. But there are times where the life of a gay teen turns dark, to the point where we worry about your safety. How are you doing? Are you worried right now? Are you stressed out? Do you find that your life has taken a very dark turn? It’s okay to admit it if it has. There are plenty of gay teens that are dealing with abandonment and separation. There are plenty of gay teens that are doing with a feeling of hopelessness. There are plenty of gay teens that wonder what it would be like if someone actually just accepted them for who they are, rather than having to play a game where they wear multiple masks just to get along. There are a lot of stressors involved in the world of being a gay teen, but that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. That doesn’t mean that you have to give up on just about anything and everything that comes your way.

You can wake up to a better world, a brighter world, a world filled with action. You just need to make sure that you’re looking at the bigger picture from start to finish. You have to make sure that you’re focusing on something more than just pain. There are a lot of more allies out there than you think.

DOMA

If you look at Hollywood, you can see that our side is getting a lot more attention. DOMA has just been struck down, which is definitely a good thing. You also have plenty of gay representation in the media. Glee, anyone? Ellen, anyone? Elton John, anyone?

It’s not just about that, of course. We have plenty of gay representation on our side, but more to the point, we now have people that are coming out and telling people that it’s okay to be gay. Lots of straight people are embracing our cause, and that’s definitely a good thing. You have tons and tons of fans that are now saying how wonderful it is to express exactly who you are. You shouldn’t have to run from it, and people that can’t deal with it are just going to have to figure it out.

It’s on them. They’re the ones that are missing out on how awesome you are. If you don’t stand up to them, they will continue to believe that they can walk over people at will. Think about that!

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Know Your Rights at School – Always!

September 27, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Going back to school has never been such a transitional time in a gay teen’s life the way it is now. Just because you get all of your school supplies and your backup doesn’t mean that you’re necessarily ready for school. You need to know the rights you have at school, and you need to make sure that you’re getting your rights upheld at all times.

You see, it’s all about fighting for what’s right, not just taking whatever’s told to you. Every school has a Handbook with the obligations that every student must be bound by. Reading it can give you insight into how things are handled. You also want to make sure that you’re making school officials aware of any problems that you’re having. This isn’t just a nice sentiment — so many abusive statements and actions against gay teens occur because no one knows about it. You are going to deal with some teachers that may turn the other way because you’re gay, but you can’t worry about that. You have to keep fighting for yourself until you find a teacher that will back you up. You also need to realize the chain of power in your school. Just because a few teachers don’t get along well with you doesn’t mean that you have no allies or that no one will speak up for you.

Going back to school

If you can actually check out who’s on your side, you’ll get more insight. Don’t rush to getting angry every time someone says something nasty to you. It’s not easy to deal with, and we’re definitely not trying to downplay your emotions. But when you make yourself open to what they have to say, you’re letting the negativity in. There are straight people that are bullied as well. Bullying is a big issue for teens in general, and it can be downright nasty. You just need to focus more on the bigger picture ahead of you.

Why would you ever want to stop fighting for your rights? We’re not saying to stop at all, here. We’re saying that you need to avoid getting soaked in negativity. When people are attacking you, a firm order to stop is the way to go. If they escalate the situation, then you need to make sure that you get someone in a position of authority on the case. You can’t try to fight all of the battles and expect to win. Why not think about where you’re going next? You will definitely have a better chance at getting people over to your side, when you know the rights that you are supposed to have in the first place.

Realize that the school environment means that your rights may be a bit different than what you expect. For example, you’re not being singled out if everyone else is subject to random locker searchers, but you may be singled out if no one else has gotten searched but you have. It’s a thin line, but it’s a distinction that matters.

Make sure that you really look into this type of thing. It’s easy to say you will, but it’s also easy to back down and accept whatever slop people are trying to serve you. Fight back in style!

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Finding Yourself as a Gay Teen Comes First

September 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment

You need to make sure that you reach for your own happiness. In a perfect world, I wouldn’t even need to say this. However, the world that we live in is far from perfect, and that means that we have moments where we just don’t get things to connect properly. We get to a point where we really want things to be different…but is it ever?

Is it a point in time where you really get things moving in the right direction? Of course there is. As a gay teen, you need to realize that there’s a world of options waiting for you. You don’t have to sit in silence or in fear, thinking that you’re not worth it. You are absolutely worth it. Why feel like you can’t make anything connect together?

You are worth more than you think, and there’s no reason to assume that you’re not. You just need to want to do more with life than what you have. If you aren’t thinking about getting more out of life right now, there’s no time like the present to start.

 

What you need to do is start connecting with hobbies that are really going to make you happy. Some people like to draw, others like to paint, and many more like to play music. You’ll find something that works for you, but you do have to look around. The library is a great way to learn about the different stuff that people do as a hobby. I’m not trying to mock you, but maybe you don’t have the same opportunities that other people have. That doesn’t mean that we’re going to make fun of you. Not at all. On the contrary, we would definitely like to see you enjoy the same good time as everyone else. There’s no reason to feel shamed merely because you don’t have the same footing that everyone else has. Of course, it only feels like everyone knows these things. Everyone started out just as clueless as you — they just don’t want to admit it.

You also need to think about trying to get a way to look at what you want to do long term. Are you in a small town? You’re going to want to try to do everything you can to get out of there and towards a city. Even though the cost of living is going to be higher, the reality is that you’re going to have a lot more opportunity than if you’re in a tiny place that has the same beliefs across the board. Once it’s known that you’re gay, you’re not going to have that much time to establish yourself. Most things in a small town are based on relationships, which is why it can be so harmful to come out in a small place. If people feel that you’re suddenly unworthy, they can’t expect you to do anything for them. It’s all about value — the more people value us, the more that they’re willing to actually pay. [Read more...]

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This Story Made Us Cry – But It’s Worth It

September 10, 2013 by Leave a Comment

A lot of people that don’t understand what it’s like to be gay do harm without even knowing it. That’s what I first thought when I read this story about a couple who lost their son to drug abuse. It didn’t start that way, though — he was a young boy that came out to his mom and dad and was rebuffed. They were a religious family, and their son loved the church life…until he was made to choose between two things he felt very strongly about. It’s difficult to feel like you don’t fit in as it is, but then to have your faith taken away from you? That’s not easy at all.

The article is here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-robertson/just-because-he-breathes-learning-to-truly-love-our-gay-son_b_3478971.html

It’s a tearjerker. In all seriousness. It’s not easy to wake up and admit that you had a heavy hand in your son slipping away from you. She deserves our respect for opening the dialogue. She’s lost her son, and she’s reflecting on that.

What we need to reflect on is loving each other. Yes, that includes straight people. Ii now that’s not going to be a very popular idea, but the truth is that they don’t deserve hatred. We can’t ask for an alliance and then talk about them like they don’t have feelings. Yes, I know that you’re probably hurting right now because you’re not getting the acceptance that you need form the straight people in your life. But if you let yourself get consumed by hatred, you’re not going to be happy either way.

What you need to do is make sure that you’re thinking about the bigger picture here. You need to be able to do the things that really matter to you, rather than just fixating on all of the things that can go wrong with your life.

Linda Robertson focused more on her religion’s views than loving her son. She paid a high, high price and my heart aches for her. I’m not a parent yet, but I know that if I got the chance? I’d love my child no matter what. Love is really what we’re all looking for. Acceptance is something that matters to us.

If you are facing that type of discrimination within your own family, just remember — you’re going to turn of legal age to get on with your life. The Internet is a great place for gay teens to get together and support each other. You don’t have to feel like it’s the end of the world. I know it can feel like that, but plenty of gay teens escape and they move on with their lives. You have to think about survival at a certain point. If you know that you’re in a family that doesn’t believe that you’re going to be able to be part of them unless you subscribe to their views, then the best thing that you can do is be silent. We never want to make anyone feel like they can’t speak up — but you might have to be cautious of who you come out to.

The death of Ryan Robertson is tragic, but we’re used to the loss of gay youth, aren’t we? May we never get so used to the sight of losing young people that we forget what truly kills them: ignorance. A lack of understanding is more dangerous than anything you can ever imagine.

If you’re really looking at the bigger picture, it’s easy to give in to the hatred, the lies, the fear. But you have to rise above that. Otherwise, we’re really just like them. Why hate anyone?

We’re all hurting, in our own way. If you take nothing else from this story, take from it that everyone deserves love. Never turn your back on anyone. You could wake up and find that you’ll never have a chance to make things right.

Filed Under: Gay Teen

There’s Still Time Before School To Have Fun As a Gay Teen

September 4, 2013 by Leave a Comment

The summer is a great time to be a gay teen. Why? Because it’s not really about being gay. You get to walk around with your shirt off, meet cute guys and pretty much have the time of your life — in a world that’s all about adventure and excitement. There’s something about summer that makes us feel really chilled out, laid back, and ready to have a good time. If you’re facing a lot of discrimination and panic in your local community, there’s no reason to think that it has to ruin your summer fun. Detach yourself form the idea that there are only some forms of fun that are approved for you. If you want to go surfing in your local community but you’re worried that people are going to call you names, ignore them. You can be a surfer even if you’re gay.

The thing about deigning your life as a gay teen is that it’s not about your orientation. You’re an amazing person with a lot to offer the world. There are just sometimes where you can’t really worry too much about how people think about you. You need to think more about the life that you really want to live. If that means that you want to be a gay surfer, you can do that — without thinking about how you’re going to look. You should never be ashamed of who you are, or what you want. You just need to make sure that you claim the life that you’ve always wanted.

Summer is a good time for camping. It’s going to be just you and all of your friends. There’s plenty of night cover too, if you want to sneak off to kiss that cute guy without everyone knowing about it. Don’t be shy – he probably wants to kiss you too!

Campfires, cooking, living out under the stars — what could be better than that? When we go back to nature, we really connect with people that care about us, outside of the busy hectic nature of the world.

Take some time and let yourself just enjoy the world around you. Check it out on your own time, you won’t be disappointed. Good luck!

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Live Life Loud Without Censorship

April 23, 2013 by 1 Comment

Look, gay teens. It’s time for me to level with you here: I’ve seen a lot of quiet gays lately. I’m sick of it. I’m sick of other gays thinking that they can’t speak out. They feel closed off from the world. There’s too much gay suicide and yes, even one unnecessary death is one death too damn many.

You’re going to have to stand up for yourselves. Look at Dan Savage — is anybody going to tell him to get back in the closet? Hell no. It doesn’t get more out than Dan Savage. He’s harsh, but he’s often spot on. It’s time for you to grow a backbone, gay teen. We’ve tried to coddle you, nurture you, and cuddle you a little too much. That’s partially our fault but you’re going to have to eventually cut the cord. You can’t just sit there hoping that life is going to get better. Gay teens, you’re going to need to go out and make it better. Stand up to bullies. Call them out.

We have good news for you — the world is changing. More and more Americans alone are deciding that hey, letting gay people marry isn’t a bad thing. Illinois is making same sex marriage legal, and that’s a big step in the right direction. Even though Chicago is pretty liberal in many ways, the rest of the state isn’t. That means that we just scored a victory.

Oh yeah, turn on that TV. Glee? Still bringing in viewers, and not all of them are gay. That’s our show, folks. Modern Family? That’s our show. Ellen is coming out saying that her marriage to Portia di Rossi was one of the best things that she’s ever done. That’s one of our very own enjoying nationwide media coverage. It’s something that we need to focus on.

There’s plenty of things to be excited about. If you’re feeling glum about being gay, guess what? It’s time to realize your worth as a person.

You need to march up to that mirror, look at it and really decide what type of person you’re going to be. You have to choose to be happy, even when the chips are stacked against you.

Yes, there are going to be people that think you’re the devil because you love people from your own gender. SO be it. Yes, I said it — so be it. Look, you can’t 100% approval. Even if all 50 states make gay marriage legal someday, the reality is that people will still have negative opinions. You can’t control them, but you can always control you.

That’s not something that’s going to necessarily get us supportive mail, but try to see what we’re really trying to tell you. It gets better. You have to believe that — or the game’s lost. Don’t let their words make you lose the game. Your life matters. If you have to take back your life by realizing that you’re worth more than you can ever imagine, then you definitely need to take that road. There’s a vibrant life ahead of you, why not claim it?

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Is It Really Time for Gay Teens to Just Relax

April 12, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Trying to relax is something that just makes for a really rough time — especially if the top of gay rights are on your mind. Of course it’s on your mind as a gay teen. You can’t wake up in the morning without realizing that somewhere out there is someone that thinks that you don’t deserve the same rights they have because you’re gay. It’s a pretty hurtful thing, but you have to relax. Yes, that’s right — we’re telling you that you have to relax. It’s not straight privilege at all, but a reality — you can’t let everything get to you. The best thing that you can do is make sure that you are taking care of your loved ones, having fun and looking forward to the bright future ahead of you. Far too many gay teens end up seeing only the negative in the world, letting it eat away at them until they end up falling apart. That’s not the way to go at all. You need to make sure that you keep yourself grounded. Yes, there’s a lot of evil in the world…but there’s also a lot of good as well. What you have to do from here is make sure that you stay as balanced as possible.

Relax. Right now is a good time for gay teens. We’re looking better and better in the media. Ellen DeGeneres and other high profile gay people are leading the way. That should be enough to put a smile on your face. Commercials for things like Amazon’s Kindle display gay relationships in a positive, loving light. JCPenney, a very old and established corporation, did a lovely Mother’s Day / Father’s Day ad that highlighted same sex parents in a loving and positive life.

If we keep looking for reasons to be upset, we’re going to find ourselves with a lot of stress on our plates. It’s just not necessary anymore. You might as well just let it go and try to relax.

We’re not saying that the fight doesn’t matter. You better believe that it really does. But you have to realize that stress is something that eats away at everything it touches. That’s a hard pill to swallow when you really think about it. Why not check things out that will relax you? A hot bath, a good walk, and more time with friends seems to always give us something new to look forward to. Good luck!

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Do You Really Need to Disclose You’re Gay at Work

April 8, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Okay, gay teens — there’s a lot of ground to cover here. After all, you’re growing up and getting into a world that’s truly more gay friendly than ever. That’s not to say that we’ve won the war – not at all. The truth is that things are much more complicated than ever before, and it’s important to make sure that you’re thinking carefully about the type of life that you want to lead. Generally speaking, you want a great career, right? Does that mean that your gay identity has to stay locked away? Does that mean that you can’t mention that you’re gay at work?

The truth is that being gay isn’t something that you have to turn on and off. However, would we disclose our sexuality at work? Not at all. Why? It doesn’t have anything to do with business.

The reality is that businesses care about one thing: making money. If it helps them to give you health coverage for same sex domestic partners, then so be it. But they really don’t want to be in your bedroom, unless your bedroom is profitable for them. They want to make sure that you can show up to work, leave work on time (to avoid unnecessary overtime), and other issues of that nature. They want to make sure that you don’t contribute to a hostile working environment. Getting into fights with people that don’t see eye to eye with you on gay issues can be construed as contributing to a hostile work environment.

Remember our last post, where we said that you can’t just closed minds? We meant it. You really can’t change someone’s mind when they’re decided that they’re really not going to do what you need them to. They’re not going to do it, no matter how many times you wring your hands. You’re going to need to just push forward and hope for the best. That would be better than assuming that everyone is out to get you. Most people just aren’t concerned about what you do. They’re too busy trying to make sense of their own lives. It’s best not to turn your workplace into a battlefield. The reality is that you will never really know what your coworkers honestly think. Everyone is keeping on a mask at work.

If you’re thinking about going for promotions, this is even more of a reason not to say much of anything. You want them to really believe that you’re a team player that wouldn’t do anything to divide the team. Whenever you bring drama into the workplace, you’re proving that you’re not focused on providing the company value. You’re focused on being right. Sometimes, you’re just going to realize that you won’t be right in the eyes of other people. And that’s okay. They’re not going to be right all the time in your eyes. If you’re going for a promotion in order to rise higher in the company, you need to think about whether or not this is something that you can live with. If you feel that it’s a freedom issue, chances are good that you don’t want to work there at all.

Today’s workplace wants to be as neutral as possible — so discussions about personal choices really aren’t as welcome as you think they are. Just as they don’t want to hear about your gay boyfriend, they don’t want to hear about the secretary’s straight boyfriend either. Get the idea?

As long as they aren’t making insults towards you, it’s better to leave this subject out of the workplace. The only warning we would give is that if someone is giving you a hard time, don’t hesitate to go to HR. While they might not specifically roll out the red carpet for you as a gay person, you certainly don’t want to deal with being discriminated against. That’s just not cool at all, no matter who you are. Good luck and hang in there!

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Treat Your Gay Partner to Something Nice During Tax Season

March 30, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Tax refunds coming in? We know the feeling. It’s exciting. If you already have your finances in order, there’s nothing wrong with splurging. There are just times where you need to show your partner that you really care for them, and this can be done by spending a little money. There’s nothing wrong with controlled spending as long as you’re willing to cut the spending when it’s time to go back to the normal way of living. There are so many different things that you can do to make your partner feel like you really care about them.

It’s all about knowing your partner. Do they like the little things in life that have meaning? You might want to go with a small gift. You might want to take them out to their favorite restaurant and just let them order whatever they want. That can make them feel pretty special.

We focus a lot of guides on what straight couples do, but the truth is that you can have good finances; good romance, and still be in a gay couple. It’s completely up to you to figure all of those details out.

It’s a lifestyle, people. One isn’t better than the other. That’s the whole point of equal rights — it gives us all an equal chance at having happiness. There’s no reason to think that you can’t spend any money together.

Of course, if you’re sharing finances now, you might want to make sure that you’re talking things out. You might want to do a lot of shopping once that tax refund check hits, but you have to step back and make sure that this is something that your partner really agrees with. Otherwise, you’re opening the door for another argument and that’s not the best way to take things further. You have to make sure that you’re thinking about both parties.

Your partner probably does want to spoil you too, so don’t be surprised if some of your favorite places come up into the conversation. There’s no reason to feel like it’s going to be a conflict just because you want to do some shopping.

Keep the conversation light and casual and you never know — there may be a way to get both of you something nice, when you really put your mind to it!

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