I couldn't sleep last night, so instead I read this super-interesting (and very long) article in the New York Times Magazine about kids who come out in middle school. Apparently there now exist middle schools were there are GSAs, students get told off for saying "that's so gay," and kids coming out aren't necessarily doomed to a life of torment and bullying. (I mean, middle schoolers are brats, but it's easier than it was, I suppose.)
This led to an interesting conversation with a queer friend, in which we both expressed surprise that middle schoolers might know they're gay. I mean, I didn't even know you could like girls in middle school; I knew I didn't like boys, but it wasn't as if there was an alternative.
It's weird how quickly things change. When I was in middle school, there weren't lesbians on Grey's Anatomy; I didn't have anything to go off of. My little sister, on the other hand, is way more aware of GLBT issues than I was at her age.
Which was just a few years ago.
Damn, now I feel old.
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1 comment:
I do think it's possible and I know some people who at least knew they were gay at that age, but none of them came out until later, largely due to fear. FWIW, I definitely had an experience at the age of twelve that I now identify as my first gay thought, but I didn't recognize it for what it was at that time. I guess it depends entirely on the person.
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