A: In a perfect world, people would accept other people for who they are. But the reality is that many people view lesbian, gay, and bisexual people as "deviant" or "wrong." They think heterosexuality is the only legitimate sexual orientation. And this has been going on for a long time. Up until 1973, homosexuality was considered a psychological disorder by the American Psychiatric Association.

This social attitude means that lots of gay teens like you get harassed. They deal with daily taunting in the hallways. Or, worse, they get beat up and suffer other kinds of violence. (Because of this harassment, many gay teens are scared to approach someone they like. And they have a higher suicide rate than heterosexual teens.) Much of this totally unacceptable behavior comes out of fear. People are often afraid of things they don't understand or things that threaten what they see as "right" or "normal."

No matter the reason, it's never OK to harass or hurt another person simply because of who he or she is. No one has the right to hurt another person, either emotionally or physically. And no one should be discriminated against because of his or her race, gender, age, physical abilities--or sexual orientation.

If you can, talk to your parents or another trusted adult about what's happening at school. Maybe they'll talk with your school principal. If you can't go to your parents, then you should talk to the principal alone. Schools have an obligation to provide a safe place for all students. They are obligated under law to stop the harassment.

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