Of the many emotions a gay man or woman feel, perhaps the most powerfully pervasive is fear. The fear of being found out is real enough, but the worry does not end there. There also lurks the fear of being called names, being assaulted, perhaps even killed. For adults these fears are horrible enough. For a lesbian and gay teenager, who lack experience and life skills to cope with them, such fears can be overwhelming. …showed first 75 words of 1866 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1866 total…gives positive information in the classroom, or stops cutting remarks, or simply discreetly helps one or two students find a support hotline, it can often make the difference between life and death for despairing teens. As more teachers, administrators, social workers, and other people speak up, the deadly silence and invisibility of homosexual youth begins to diminish. If silence equals death, then proper communication and information is the one way to insure life. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**