Gender stereotypes are everywhere. Sometimes, they show up in obvious ways, like when parents-to-be have gender reveal parties and then use that to determine how they’ll decorate the nursery and what baby clothes they’ll buy. Sometimes, they show…
Read Story »
>
Content Warning: In this story, traumatic experiences will be shared that may elicit strong emotions. As you read, be aware and conscious of your feelings, and take a break at any time. My former partner and I met when I […]
Read Story »
>
From my very first day of high school, I was introduced to a wide range of authors, books and ideas. While studying literature, my English class also became a place for personal growth and self-reflection. I found new ways to […]
Read Story »
>
I first discovered Ella Fields in 2019 after her short film Bubble Gum landed on my YouTube recommended page. Over the course of nine minutes, I watched two young girls fall in love as they frolic on a beach, scream […]
Read Story »
>
My high school may have posters in the classrooms claiming that discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation will not be tolerated, but the reality can feel much different. Time and time again, the administration has not assisted those…
Read Story »
>
I was so happy to celebrate my first Pride Month a few months ago in June! When I went to PrideFest in New York City with some friends, it was a lot of fun, and amazing to see so many […]
Read Story »
>
Nineteen-year-old Mae Lexi Zurita (pictured in the center above) is determined to make a change in the world. As a member of the Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health (MOASH), she has been involved with a number of projects aimed […]
Read Story »
>
Young people in the U.S. today were not around a few decades ago to see the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic at its peak. Since then, there have been advances in the prevention and treatment of HIV.…
Read Story »
>
I grew up in a pretty conservative, rural, stuck-in-its-ways small town. It’s a town of crops and cattle where church parking lots are full on Sundays and the gravel dirt roads are paved by trucks with flat decks. Its residents […]
Read Story »
>
Scrolling through social media, I often see people who identify along many parts of the gender spectrum. It makes me so happy to see teens showing the truest version of themselves. Teens often have a strong sense of their gender […]
Read Story »
>
For many people who identify as LGBTQ, coming out can be a way to show your true colors. Coming out is the process of sharing your sexual orientation and/or gender identity with others. Homophobia and transphobia—the irrational fear or hatred […]
Read Story »
>
In my first year of high school, I got my ears pierced for the first time. When the lady at the mall finished, I checked myself out in the mirror. I loved the way I looked and couldn’t wait to […]
Read Story »
>
The idea of coming home from school and talking to my mom about how a girl I was flirting with asked me out is a completely alien concept to me. To this day I’ve never addressed anything about my sexual […]
Read Story »
>
Nadya Okamoto is a 20-year-old junior at Harvard University. She is the Founder and Executive Director of PERIOD (period.org), one of the fastest growing, youth-run women’s health nonprofit organizations in the United States. Since she co-founded…
Read Story »
>
I was 13 when I hinted to my dad that I was gay. We were in his car, and he was driving me home from my usual weekend visit with him. (My parents are divorced.) I asked him, “What would […]
Read Story »
>
In many sex education classes, LGBTQ topics aren’t included or, if they are mentioned at all, it’s brief. For instance, in my sex ed class, we spent one lesson learning what the L, G, B and T stand for and […]
Read Story »
>
