LGBTQ: The Survival Guide for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Teens

by Kelly Huegel Madrone

Overview

Fully revised and updated guide with frank, sensitive information for LGBTQ teens, their families, and their allies.?

LGBTQ is the indispensable resource for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning teens—and their allies. This fully revised and updated third edition includes current information on LGBTQ terminology, evolving understandings of gender identity and sexual identity, LGBTQ rights, and much more. Other advice covers topics such as coming out, confronting prejudice, getting support, making healthy choices, and thriving in school and beyond.

Resources point the way to books and websites with more information, and quotes from LGBTQ teens (and allies) share stories of personal experiences. Created with input from PFLAG, GLSEN, GLAAD, and others, this book is for young people who are beginning to question their sexual orientation or gender identity, those who are ready to work for LGBTQ rights, and those who may need advice, guidance, or reassurance that they are not alone.

2018 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Honorable Mention

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781631983047
Publisher:	Free Spirit Publishing
Publication date:	02/13/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	272
File size:	11 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

Kelly Huegel Madrone is a freelance writer, writing coach, and speaker. She has worked for the Metropolitan Washington, D.C., chapter of PFLAG, where she helped provide support and educational services for LGBTQ people and their families.

The author of two books and more than one hundred published articles, Kelly has a special passion for working with teens. She holds a degree in secondary education, is a licensed massage therapist and massage educator, has a certificate in plant-based nutrition, and is a martial arts black belt.

Kelly lives in New Mexico with her partner Mala and their daughters.

Table of Contents

Foreword Jillian Weiss vii

Introduction 1

About This Book 6

Chapter 1 LGBTQ 101 9

LGBTQ Terminology 10

A Biology Lesson: The Science of LGBTQ 15

Your Personal Geography: Exploring Who You Are 21

Myths, Generalizations, and Just Plain Absurd Ideas About LGBTQ People … and the Truth 24

Chapter 2 Transgender and Nonbinary Teens 33

What Does it Mean to Be Transgender or Nonbinary? 35

How Do You Know? Figuring Out if You're Trans or Nonbinary 42

Now What? Options for Trans and Nonbinary Teens 46

Facing Discrimination 56

Chapter 3 Homophobia and Transphobia 58

The 411 on Hate: The Roots of Homophobia and Transphobia 59

The Big Bad World: Homophobia and Transphobia in Society and at School 63

Responding to Homophobia and Transphobia 67

When Homophobia and Transphobia = Ongoing Harassment 77

The Good News 80

Chapter 4 Coming Out 82

What Is Coming Out All About? 84

How's the Weather Out There? Deciding If You're Ready (and If It's Safe) to Come Out 86

I Have Something to Tell You: Coming Out to Your Family 94

Coming Out to Your Friends 100

Coming Out at School 102

Chapter 5 Life at School 104

School Life for LGBTQ Teens: The Big Picture 105

Feeling Invisible … or Too Visible 107

Exercising Your Rights as an LGBTQ Student 110

The Voice of Authority: Talking to Teachers and Administrators 115

Club Life: Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) and Other Queer-Friendly Activities 117

Moving On: Deciding If You Need to Change Schools 121

Chapter 6 LGBTQ Friends 123

Part of the Family: The Utterly Diverse, Somewhat Cohesive, Always Interesting LGBTQ Community 124

IMRU2? Meeting Other LGBTQ Teens 125

Making Connections: LGBTQ Online Communities 128

Queer Com pad res: LGBTQ Friendships 130

Straight But Not Narrow: Other Friends 131

Chapter 7 Dating and Relationships 133

Soul Searching: Figuring Out If You're Ready to Date 134

Who Gets the Check? LGBTQ Dating Basics 136

Being "Out" on a Date 140

Singing the Breakup Blues 142

Abusive Relationships: Recognizing Them and Getting Help 144

Chapter 8 Sex and Sexuality 152

Making Sound Decisions About Sex 156

Five Myths (and Truths) About Queer Sex 163

The Big Picture: STIs and Pregnancy 166

Chapter 9 Staying Healthy 176

Chilling Out: Dealing with Stress as an LGBTQ Teen 177

When Stress Turns Into Depression 183

Thinking About Drinking: Making Decisions About Alcohol 188

The Truth About Tobacco 193

Avoiding Drugs 194

Chapter 10 Religion and Culture 199

States of Being: Religious Life and Queer Life 200

Making Room in Religion: Reconciling Your Personal Beliefs 205

Cultural Differences, Being LGBTQ, and You 213

Chapter 11 Work, College, and Beyond 219

Getting Past High School 219

Finding an LGBTQ-Friendly Company 221

Being LGBTQ in the Workplace: Your Decisions and Your Rights 222

A Perfect Match: Finding the Right School 227

Going with the Flow: Some Thoughts on Getting Older 231

Glossary 233

Resources 244

Selected Bibliography 250

Index 254

About the Author 263

Editorial Reviews

Vitally important.

From the Publisher

Astoundingly comprehensive and wise, LGBTQ by Kelly Huegel Madrone is filled with clear information and practical suggestions to help young people safely explore their gender and sexual identity. I wish my library had this book when I was a teen!

Irwin Krieger

At a time when so many people claim we live in a ‘post-homophobia’ era, this book is ever more important as a working resource to navigate the very real persistence of anti-queer sentiment. Enormously accessible and chock-full of substantive information, Madrone provides a healthy and helpful guide for young people navigating the churning waters of their own sexuality in a world still insistently heteronormative.

Suzanna Danuta Walters

LGBTQ is a book for EVERYONE, whether queer or hetero, to learn how to be a true advocate for yourself and the rainbow community under the umbrella of the social justice movement. This is the book I wish my pansexual self had as a teenager to refer back to regularly and know I was not (and am not) alone. Consider this your queer encyclopedia, a conduit to navigating a sometimes still hateful and judgy world, with a soft pillow of loving advice to cushion the blow. There is a newer, preferable language in the gay community that includes everyone—this book will help you be sensitive toward others as you find yourself. Love is indeed love, but this book will take you far beyond love with a strong education of your legal rights and cultural history.

Chloé Jo Davis

Vitally important.

Midwest Book Review

LGBTQ is an essential resource for teens, parents, school administrators, and anyone else who wants to provide an affirming environment for young people eager to learn more about themselves and about how to be a good ally to others. The book manages to be both readable and accessible to teens, while providing some of the latest information about the state of legal protections for LGBTQ young people across the country, and surveying medical, mental health, and social science research on sexuality, gender, and identity. Navigating young adulthood is hard. For young people armed with LGBTQ, it will be easier.

Camilla Taylor

Kelly’s guide is exactly what it says it is: a survival guide for teens about LGBTQ life. It presents the facts about what it means to be LGBTQ as well as provides teens practical advice on how to come out, how to fight transphobia and homophobia, and how to be their most awesome authentic selves. She takes a no-frills approach to giving teens as much information about LGBTQ life as possible. The book offers personal anecdotes from other young people, which helps give the book a more personal feel, while at the same time empowering the reader to do something we could all use a little help in: hold a brave space for themselves.

Julie Seaver

Sensible, realistic recommendations for appreciating and exploring sexual and gender identity.

VOYA

 “LGBTQ is a book for EVERYONE, whether queer or hetero, to learn how to be a true advocate for yourself and the rainbow community under the umbrella of the social justice movement. This is the book I wish my pansexual self had as a teenager to refer back to regularly and know I was not (and am not) alone. Consider this your queer encyclopedia, a conduit to navigating a sometimes still hateful and judgy world, with a soft pillow of loving advice to cushion the blow. There is a newer, preferable language in the gay community that includes everyone—this book will help you be sensitive toward others as you find yourself. Love is indeed love, but this book will take you far beyond love with a strong education of your legal rights and cultural history.

Chloé Jo Davis

★ Winter 2018

Gr 6 Up—This affirming guide covers a wide range of topics, educating readers and helping them become better advocates for themselves. Using the acronym LGBTQ and the word queer, this updated and revised third edition includes updated data and emphasizes evolving concepts and understandings of gender and sexuality, advances in LGBTQ rights, cultural shifts and changing attitudes, and a look at a wider range of experience and identity. With information from experts, advice from advocacy groups, and stories from teenagers, chapters tackle accepting and questioning identity, trans and nonbinary teens, what to consider when coming out, harassment and bullying, finding community, dating (including a look at relationship violence), sex and sexually transmitted infections, mental health, and religious life. The part about work and college life contains details on rights and discrimination and tips on finding the right company or college. Pull quotes, text boxes, and subheadings break up the dense text. Some identities, such as intersex, asexual, aromantic, and others along those spectrums, receive less space than the LGBTQ identities of the title. This useful resource is aimed at queer teens, but those seeking to provide a welcoming, affirming environment for LGBTQ youth will also find this indispensable. VERDICT This sensitive, frank, and supportive volume belongs in every library.—Amanda MacGregor, Parkview Elementary School, Rosemount, MN

School Library Journal