Straight Up

Before I say anything else, let me first say that I have nothing against legitimately gay people. Those people have problems, just like anyone else, and I'm not about to judge someone because their weakness is different from mine. (I have a whole blurb about homosexuals and freedom of choice in a previous blog, if you wish I read it.)

That said, I am a bit concerned about a recent trend that seems to be cropping up amongst our teens. It looks like it's becoming cool to be homosexual or bisexual. Rebellious teenagers everywhere are "coming out of the closet" so to speak, and are getting a whole lot of attention from their peers, siblings and parents about it. It kind of makes me wonder... is that what they were going for in the first place?

I know a couple people who would be enraged if they read this, because they are in fact the subjects of my blog post. However, I truly believe that if they were to be completely honest with themselves, they would find that they are at best, confused.

In my opinion, a person is not homosexual simply because they are able to become aroused when they see someone of the same gender in skimpy clothing or in an otherwise suggestive situation. That is nothing more than the mind's ability to relate and to imagine. (I'm not saying that's acceptable; I'm saying it's natural.) So when a person experiences these feelings and goes running off to Facebook to tell everyone-- and proudly so-- that they are gay or lesbian or "bi", forgive me if I am a little more than skeptical.

Honestly, I really think that many (if not most) of these cases are attempts to gain attention, and sadly, it works. Really well. Not only do they get all the positive attention from their fellow wannabe gays, etc, but they get all the negative attention from their parents, leaders and many peers. Sadly, for many teens, attention, even if negative attention, is still attention. They're not afraid of walking on the edge for a bit of any kind of attention they can get, and that's kind of sad.

So the solution: pay better attention to the teenagers. I don't mean doting on them or spoiling them. I certainly don't mean encouraging their rebellious behavior. But I do mean, listen to them. Accept their personality and try to understand their wants and needs for what they really are. Love them for who they truly are beneath the thick facade. Not easy, I know. But it seems to me that if they felt enough love and notice and recognition from those closest to them, they wouldn't have to resort to drastic measures to get the attention they crave.