Healthy Teen Lesbians on Yahoo! Health

When Waukegan High School seniors Brandy Johnson and Lupe Silva began dating, they never dreamed that their relationship would make them the poster board for young lesbians across the country. Recently, Brandy and Lupe were voted Cutest Couple in their high school yearbook. The media frenzy which followed has made them mini-celebrities -- and has raised the important issue of tolerance in high schools across the nation.

Although Lupe and Brandy were celebrated by their peers for their openness about their relationship, many homosexuals are tormented and bullied by their school peers. This bullying often has tragic results -- a University of Washington study found that homosexual teens are three times more likely to plan suicide and six times more likely to have attempted suicide in the past year, when compared to heterosexual teens.

Luckily, there are positive changes on the horizon. As homosexuality becomes more normalized and celebrated, teens will no longer have to feel ashamed or guilty of their sexuality. While some critics fear that such normalization encourages teens to "become gay," parents and teachers should know that they cannot control a child's sexuality. However, they can help to control how a child feels about his sexuality -- including whether he feels loved and valued, or hated and judged.

As parents, we need to extend the rules of tolerance to our own household. Even if homosexuality conflicts with your moral or religious beliefs, don't allow your inner hang-ups to tear apart your home. It might help to seek family counseling or individual counseling to work through these feelings, or to read books for parents of gay teens such as Straight Parents, Gay Children: Keeping Families Together, by Robert A. Bernstein.

Most importantly, be sure to remain active in your gay teen's life. You need to be your child's protector during this difficult time. If he is being bullied at school, become involved with the principal and teachers to work out the issue. If necessary, push for stricter tolerance ordinances at the school -- not all schools have bullying regulations in place to protect gay teens, even though gay bashing is considered a hate crime.

If you want to hear more about Lupe and Brandy, and the issue of teen homosexuality, check out my heated debate with Bill O'Reilly on the O'Reilly Factor, on the AfterEllen blog.

And for more information on how you can support your homosexual teen, check out the Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays web site.

------------------------------------------------------------