Dear Maestro8891,

There are a number of organizations that support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) teens. Your school might even have a gay-straight alliance (GSA). A GSA is a group organized and led by students to create a safe, supportive, and accepting school environment for all. If you are interested in learning more about gay-straight alliances or even starting one at your school, you can find lots of helpful information and guidance on The Gay-Straight Alliance Network website.

The Web can also be a great way of connecting with people who share your interests- a source of community and support that may be hard for you to find in the "real world." Some LGBTQ sites you might want to check out include http://www.planetout.com/, http://www.advocate.com/, and http://www.glbtq.com/.

Keep in mind that when communicating with others online, it's important to be careful. Because there's no face-to-face contact online, you can never be sure that people are who they say they are. That 17-year-old you've been chatting with for weeks could actually be a group of 11-year-olds messing with you - or even worse, a 49-year-old preying on unsuspecting teenagers. So make sure to put your safety first and don't share identifying information about yourself in chat rooms.

Hope this information helps!

Take care,

teenwire.com^® Editors

This column is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have a medical problem, please call toll-free 1-800-230-PLAN for an appointment with the Planned Parenthood health center nearest you.