Joining the Tribe: Growing Up Gay and Lesbian in the '90s

If Due's (High and Outside) collection of poignant interviews with gay and lesbian youth reminds us of one thing, it is that greater visibility does not mean greater safety. Due (whose feature on gay and lesbian teenagers was declared one of the top six underreported stories of 1992 by Media Alliance/Project Censored) talked with lesbian, gay and bisexual adolescents of different ethnicities, classes and backgrounds across the U.S. They vividly recount the assaults they suffer in their families and schools and in the broader society, assaults including name-calling, beatings and death threats. Many testify eloquently to the fear, pain and shame that come not because of their sexual orientation per se, but because of the devastating results its disclosure had on many of their social relationships. At the same time, some speak touchingly of first love, of support from family and friends and of the efforts by some communities to provide services to gay and lesbian youth. Unlike many of the professional resources available for counselors, teachers and others concerned about these teens, Due lets her interviewees speak for themselves, while her sensitive editing provides background, commentary and balance between individual and collective experience. The result is a moving, vital pastiche. (Sept.)