2011
QUEER: THE ULTIMATE LGBT GUIDE FOR TEENS
Running 3 blogs I receive a lot of email regarding people who want me to promote their movies, music, and books. Recently I was forwarded one of these emails from Denise over at The Lesbian Lounge because she was aware of the large amount of teenagers that write into The Lesbian Question which is one of TLL’s Sister Sites. Finding a book written for queer teens interesting I immediately contacted the PR rep and received a copy of the book in less than a few days.
So last night I’m reading a book with the word QUEER in giant letters on the cover in front of my soon to be Father-in-Law. This was weird and apparently is not any less awkward at 15 than it is at 33, but I did it! I found that the book read like a “How To” book and I think that for some teens that’s going to be a good thing. For others I believe they will find that the book is beneath them. I feel that the book is for those that have little to no contact with the gay world as well as for those that have a few questions they have been wanting to ask but perhaps were too afraid to. (Though you can always submit those questions to www.thelesbianquestion.com!)
The book is very easy to read, has a great reference section (Though I do wish they would have had a GLBT blog section), and is written by two gay literary icons. I think it would be a great gift for that shy introverted queer you may know. It should definitely line the shelves of all the pride centers across the globe. But most important about QUEER is that it’s out there. It’s a book for teens that will provide them with answers to questions they may not be able to get anywhere else. Please do what you can to share the word about this book on your blog or website. We need to be better at supporting the community that has been there to support us!
It gets better,
Kelly Leszczynski
TLL Managing Editor
Read more about QUEER after the jump.
“It gets better.” This necessary message has made its way into mainstream media as a reaction to bullying and violence toward gay teens. Sexual identification can be a challenging step for teens who might be queer, and ways to navigate the future might seem unclear. It is with personal experience, professional resources and unflappable support that authors Kathy Belge and Marke Bieschke wrote QUEER: THE ULTIMATE LGBT GUIDE FOR TEENS (June 1, 2011; $16.95; 176 pages; Paper; ISBN-13: 978-0-9819733-4-0).
QUEER is a humorous, engaging and honest guide that helps teens understand what being queer means, and how to come out to family and friends (and deal with repercussions). It provides suggestions for a healthy and vibrant LGBT social life (the “queer sphere”), while offering ways to deal with bigotry and homophobia. QUEER also includes personal stories from the authors, fascinating sidebars on queer history and an abundance of health, community, safety, political and reading resources.
Kathy Belge co-authored the book LIPSTICK & DIPSTICK’S ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO LESBIAN RELATIONSHIPS and writes on lesbian life for Curve magazine and About.com. She has worked extensively with queer youth and was the director of the Sexual Minority Youth Resource Center, Oregon’s largest program for LGBT teens. Marke Bieschke is the former health and dating editor of Gay.com and PlanetOut.com and a current Senior Editor at the San Francisco Bay Guardian. He has also spoken about gay issues on National Public Radio and CBS radio. Kathy and Marke also consulted with a teen advisory board consisting of five youth from across the country, all of whom are active in their school’s Gay Straight Alliance (GSA).
“Whether you’re sure you’re queer, wondering if you might be, or just want
to know more about what it all means, this book is your ticket to
a whole new rainbow-colored world.”
—Kathy Belge and Marke Bieschke
