In a perfect world, people would accept each other for who they are. But, the reality is that many people see lesbian, gay and bisexual people as being deviant or wrong. They think that heterosexuality is the only legitimate sexual orientation.

And this has been going on for a long time. Up until 1986, homosexuality was listed as 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 or suffer other kinds of violence. They�re scared to approach someone they might like. And, gay teens have a higher suicide rate than heterosexual ones.

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.�

But, no matter the reason, it�s always wrong to harass or hurt another person simply because of who they are. No one has the right to hurt another person, either emotionally or physically. And no one should be discriminated against based on their race, gender, age, physical abilities � or their sexual orientation.

If you can, talk to your parents or another trusted adult about what�s happening in 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.

For more information and support, go to www.youthresource.com.