A decade ago, the only queer info available to most teens was in a few dour psychology texts under the nose of the school librarian. Growing up in California, Kali was the leader of a young women's chapter of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her access to GayNet at school gave her a place to air those feelings, and a phone call from someone she knew online saved her life. Kali is now a regular contributor to Sappho, a women's board she most appreciates because there she is accepted as an equal. But it's a high of connection.
Kids can challenge what adults have to say and make the news.
One of the best examples of teen organizing in the last year was teens working with the Massachussets legislature to pass a law requiring gay and lesbian education in the high schools. If teen organizers are successful somewhere now, everyone's gonna hear about it. This is the most powerful tool queer youth have ever had. Another power that teenagers are now wielding online is their anger. These kids are computer literate, and they're using the anger of youth to create a space for themselves.