Two Teenagers in 20: Writings by Gay and Lesbian Youth
"This consistently absorbing and frequently moving collection soberingly documents the damaging consequences of the homophobia that pervades even purportedly enlightened families and schools. These stories are overwhelmingly affirmative, buoyed by the authors' new self-awareness and the determination to find a place for themselves in an often hostile country."--Publishers Weekly
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These first-person accounts by some forty young people will ease the way for other teens exploring their sexual identity, while providing valuable insight for adults who want to support them. Children's Literature Perhaps Alyson Press's greatest credit goes to their support of gay and lesbian youth who, like other adolescents, are searching for their identity. But unlike their peers, they have little support for becoming who they really are, especially if they live far from urban centers. This book ought to be required reading for every adult who is working with young adults. It's actually a revision of a book written a decade earlier, One Teenager in Ten. Even a math moron can see the ratio hasn't changed, but Heron chose the new title to represent the fact that more gay teenagers are identifying themselves. She also hoped that she would find growth in support for gay teenagers. Instead, she found that support "hasn't kept pace with the number of teens who are confronting the issue of sexual orientation. The sense of isolation and despair in the stories I received in 1993 was in fact even stronger than a decade ago." Witness the fact that according to a 1989 federal study, gay and lesbian youth account for 30% of completed youth suicide annually. In this book, individual voices unite for a profound effect. Their tones are different; there's humor, sorrow, shame, and joy. There are teens who are freed in becoming themselves, who grieve the loss of unaccepting families, who are supported by friends, and who find that friends desert them...a whole range of experiences and ways of telling. The book ends with a helpful bibliography and a pen pal service initiated by the need witnessed during its writing.
\ Children's Literature - Susie Wilde\ Perhaps Alyson Press's greatest credit goes to their support of gay and lesbian youth who, like other adolescents, are searching for their identity. But unlike their peers, they have little support for becoming who they really are, especially if they live far from urban centers. This book ought to be required reading for every adult who is working with young adults. It's actually a revision of a book written a decade earlier, One Teenager in Ten. Even a math moron can see the ratio hasn't changed, but Heron chose the new title to represent the fact that more gay teenagers are identifying themselves. She also hoped that she would find growth in support for gay teenagers. Instead, she found that support "hasn't kept pace with the number of teens who are confronting the issue of sexual orientation. The sense of isolation and despair in the stories I received in 1993 was in fact even stronger than a decade ago." Witness the fact that according to a 1989 federal study, gay and lesbian youth account for 30% of completed youth suicide annually. In this book, individual voices unite for a profound effect. Their tones are different; there's humor, sorrow, shame, and joy. There are teens who are freed in becoming themselves, who grieve the loss of unaccepting families, who are supported by friends, and who find that friends desert them...a whole range of experiences and ways of telling. The book ends with a helpful bibliography and a pen pal service initiated by the need witnessed during its writing.\ \
