Introduction: Safe Passage

Adolescence is a period fraught with developmental challenges for all individuals. Those encountered by gay, lesbian, bisexual, and other sexual minority youth are particularity difficult. The Knowledge that they are “different” show how, although not yet necessarily full aware of how they are different, leaves many isolated and unable to work thought some typical developmental issues having to do with establishing romantic relationships and learning diverse social skills. Such teens may develop a host of coping mechanisms to ease the dissonance experienced when their forming identities are in conflict with peer, parental or, more broadly, societal expectation.