hear me out

Title: Hear Me Out: True Stories of Teens Educating And Confronting Homophobia

Genre: Nonfiction

Annotation: Coming out as a gay or lesbian is a very personal experience, and every person has their own story.

Review: I came out to my friends and family when I was 18. The summer after my graduation from high school was a tumultuous one, and I remember the anxiety of having to tell those close to me that I wasn't like them, that I was gay. Looking back, I do not regret speaking those words to them; it forced me to live a more authentic life because of who I was.

Participants of Toronto's Planned Parenthood project, Teens Educating and Confronting Homophobia (also referred to by the acronym T.E.A.C.H.), compiled a collection of their own coming out stories to share with other young adults who are facing those same kinds of situations. One of the best tools we have as a community is the power of our words. The strength of our voices can edify others and offer encouragement to be seen and heard. The premise of this collection is to create visibility outside of the GLBT community. So often queer youth are forced to remain silent, feeling they are doomed to live their lives amongst the shadows. Regardless of sexual orientation or minority status, each person should be allowed to live a full life without the fear that they will be put down as a "less-than" and not as an equal.

The stories in Hear Me Out demand a recognition of the existence of queer individuals everywhere, from rural farms to urban communities. Heartbreak and shame exists for many. Having felt it myself, the reinforcement of cultural oppression oftentimes can be crushing to GLBT youth. Yet, for each story of pain and loneliness, another is told of opportunity. These young adults have a choice to put themselves out as who they really are in public. That takes courage. Fictional stories have the safety of not being linked to real people, so when first-person accounts of queer persons are read by adolescents, the added layer of reality can be both frightening and comforting. Not much else stings as much as isolation. Books like Hear Me Out let teens know they are not alone, and that in & of itself is worthy of applause.