How to Find Gay Youth Resources Online

The Internet has become a vital link to the gay and lesbian community for youth who are otherwise isolated. Young gay people seem more likely to surf the Net than to buy a gay magazine and risk having Mom find it. Here's how to begin looking for gay youth resources online.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Internet Access

1. Start your quest at OutProud.org, the Web site of the National Coalition for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Youth. It offers a searchable library of book recommendations and links to other youth-oriented sites, among other things.
2. Get a good collection of links to gay and lesbian resources of all types from the Youth section of RainbowQuery.com.
3. Have a look at Oasis (OasisMag.com), an online magazine written by, about and for gay and questioning youth. It features columns, news, poetry and a lot more.
4. Find out how to get involved in activism on behalf of gay youth by visiting the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN.org). The site also includes information on youth sexual orientation issues and on making schools safer.

Tips & Warnings

• You can find some nice resources for and about gay youth at both major gay portals. Stop by Gay.com and PlanetOut (www.planetout.com).
• If you share a computer with your parents and don't want them to know what sites you've been visiting, be sure to clear the Web browser's history folder and the cache, or the files that it has stored on your computer (see Related eHows).