T2T - When did you realize that you were at- tracted to girls? AO - It was in the beginning of my teen years. When I had graduated from middle school (8th grade), my family had me dressed me up in all pink and I felt so awkward. T2T - So, was that the last time you wore a dress (both laughing)
AO - Unfortunately, my best friend has talked me into wearing a dress to this school year’s prom. T2T - Are you going to wear heels?
call you weird? Would they disown you? Or, shower you with hugs & kisses and say, no matter what we will always love you. In today’s society, many young teenagers are experienc- ing these stereotypes of being a young gay or lesbian student. Many of them have to deal with negative comments, being ridiculed by their peers and classmates. Often times, even teachers will make inappropriate remarks about them or will treat them differently in the class.
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id you ever wonder how it would be to tell your parents that you were gay or lesbian? How would they treat you? Would they ask you to move out or
AO - I’m not sure. T2T - When did you notice that it was something dif- ferent about you? Or, when did you begin to develop these feelings towards girls?
AO - I knew what was going on with my emotions and I was aware of my feelings. T2T - When was your first encounter with a female?
AO - Paused…. T2T - Ok, were you a younger teenager when it first hap- pened?
AO - Yes, I was in my early teen years when I had my first relation (sexual encounter). T2T - Did your Mom or your sister have a clue? AO - My sister knew. Growing up, I was a little tomboy and my family thought I would grow out of it. But, I also liked do- ing girls stuff, too. I was so caught up in it. I liked to play with dolls and get my hands dirty stuff like that. When I first came out the closet to my mother I was 17 and my mother didn’t like it
Being a Gay/Lesbian student is hard enough for anyone to have to go through alone, but the isolation that many of them experience from school, friends and most importantly family can be devastating.
Below are some American statistics, •
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80% of gay, lesbian and bisexual young people said that they have felt severely isolated.
One study found that gay young people are (2-3) times more likely to commit suicide in comparison to other youth.
• 53% of gay students have heard homophobic comment made by members of the school staff.
n a one-on-one interview with Teen2Teen Magazine (T2T), teenage lesbian student Antonia Offutt shares with us the life of a lesbian teenager, the relationships, and how she broke the news to her family about her lifestyle.
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at all. She said to me, “You don’t know what you’re doing with a female. I told her, “Mom, I do know what I’m doing I just can’t tell you all right now.” I told her I need her to know & understand. She said, “I can’t. This is not how I want to see you.” AO - I was like okay. I understand. Then, it really became a prob- lem for her. For example, when females would call me at home, she would say, “Who are you? What’s your name? Why are you calling her? “She met a couple of them. But, really who’s going to tell their Mom that’s my girlfriend. T2T - I’m quite sure that’s not a discussion you would talk over dinner. AO - My mother was “hip”. She had a feeling something was going on with me before I told her at age 17. T2T - She had that mother’s intuition. AO - Yeah, I know she didn’t want me to be this way. Since I’m older and she sees that I date older females there isn’t really any- thing she can do. Basically, I’m a grown woman and I can’t tell her about her relationships and she can’t tell me about mine. But, at the same time she is still my mother and she can still put her input on how she feels about certain things in my life. T2T - As an adult female, I’ve noticed there are a lot of girls (young- er females) that seem to be attracted to girls, yet they’re smiling in