Coming+to+Terms+-+The+Heroic+Journey+of+Coming+Out

**Coming to Terms: A Journey Towards Self-Acceptance**

In a year that’s seen “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repealed, the legalization of gay marriage in New York State, and the beginning of presidential campaigns, the biggest “moral” argument we’ve debated has been that of homosexuality. What seems to get lost in the shuffle of fighting legalities and seeking rights is the journey one takes when coming to terms with who they are. While their stories of coming to terms with who they love are different in terms of their surrounding environments, and sometimes have different end results, we see that these youth are all united by the same journey that begins with self-discovery and ultimately ends with coming out and hopefully finding acceptance from their families and friends, but most importantly, within themselves.

** Readings ** //First time I saw her was through the mirror on my locker door. I'd kicked my swim gear onto the bottom shelf and was reaching to the top for my calc book when she opened her locker across the hall. She had a streaked blond ponytail dangling out the back of her baseball cap...// //We slammed our lockers in unison and turned. Her eyes met mine. "Hi," she said, smiling.// //My stomach fluttered. "Hi," I answered automatically. She was new. Had to be. I would've noticed her.// //She sauntered away, but not before I caught a glimpse of her T-shirt. It said: IMRU?// //Am I what?//

//Love is never easy. Especially if you're Paul. He's a sophomore at a high school like no other -- and these are his friends: Infinite Darlene, the homecoming queen// and //star quarterback; Joni, Paul's best friend who may not be his best friend anymore; Tony, his other best friend, who can't leave the house unless his parents think he's going on a date... with a girl; Kyle, the ex-boyfriend who won't go away; Rip, the school bookie, who sets the odds... And Noah. The Boy. The one who changes everything.// //High-school senior Paul has dated Angie since middle school, and they're good together: they have a lot of the same interests, like singing in their church choir, and being active in Bible club. But when a new boy, Manuel, transfers to their school, Paul has to rethink his life. Manuel is the first openly gay teen anyone in their small town has ever met, and yet he says he's also a committed Christian. Talking to Manuel makes Paul reconsider thoughts he has kept hidden, and listening to Manuel's interpretation of Biblical passages on homosexuality causes Paul to re-evaluate everything he believed. Manuel's outspokenness triggers dramatic consequences at school, culminating in a terrifying situation that leads Paul to take a stand.//

**Additional Reading**   // M or F // ? - Lisa Papademetrious and Chris Tebbetts //Shine// - Lauren Myracle  //Luna// - Julie Anne Peters //Bullied// - Jeff Erno //Down to the Bone// - Mayra Lazara Dole //How They Met & Other Stories// - David Levithan **Extra Links**

__Author's Websites:__ [|Alex Sanchez] [|Julie Anne Peters] [|David Levithan] __Resources for LGBT Youth and Straight Allies:__

[|The Trevor Project] [|It Gets Better] [|PointFoundation] [|Youth OUTreach] [|The Ali Forney Center] [|Safe Schools Coalition]

**Videos** [|Dan Savage - It Gets Better]  [|Love, Pixar - It Gets Better] [|Zach Wahls Speaks About Family]