BOY, 18, LOOKS FOR….
There is one now also sitting, knowing, that he is gay. And now? To sit alone at home brings also nothing. Many boys feel totally alone in their "Coming Out." You have the feeling than you’re the only one in the whole world who likes boys. Of course, this is not the case. Statistically, about 10-percent of the population is gay. (Some sources say it is closer to 15-17 percent). This must mean there must be at least one other person in each of his classes that has the same feelings he has. But when most of them are not 'out' it is difficult to get together. And, let's face it, waiting by a bus stop or sitting on a park bench hoping to meet the love of your life is rather futile. You could wait forever! There must be some other ways. YES, there are! One of the first places to check is with local youth groups. In larger, more urban areas, there are groups that meet on a regular basis. Other gay, young people lead these groups and they offer the ideal opportunity to get to know other gay and bisexual youth. You will find the addresses for many of these groups listed in search engines on the internet or some of them in the address section of this web. Of course, if you prefer not to join any groups, there are other ways to meet similarly minded people. The Internet is quite popular. There you will find many sources of information about gays and lesbians. From personal homepages of gay kids, to chat rooms, to galleries of pictures, to lists of organizations and discussion groups, there is something for everyone. Not to mention the "personals" services. There are many of them on the Internet. They are simple to use and you can list your preferences and descriptions anonymously if you choose. You can also reply to others' personal announcements as well. Personals can be found in printed form as well. Many gay publications provide space for personal announcements - Swiss magazines such as AK, Cruiser, Kontakt etc., or German magazines such as MannEros, Adam, Du&ich, etc.. These publications are also available at larger kiosks selling printed materials. |
Of
course, some would say that direct, face to face contact is
the best way to meet someone. And there are many sources
for that, the most likely of which would be gay bars or
Discos that thrive in larger cities. Many of these are
listed in Gay Guides (Spartacus or Bob Damron) or on the
national Infotapes. You should note that bars often
attract an older crowd, but there are always exceptions
to that rule. It may take special courage to go into the
bar. After all, here you will meet someone immediately
and will be able to see him or her, as they are able to
see you. And you can be active or passive. Being active
means walking up to someone and meeting him or her -
introducing yourself. Or you can choose to take a passive
role - perhaps sitting quietly in the corner and watching
who comes and goes. Flirting in bars can be great fun, but you must be careful! Bars, Discos, and even special parties are often used as pick-up places. So are parks and saunas. Sometimes the quality of a potential partner you meet in these places is not the best. You must always be very selective of those with whom you intend to share your time and certainly get to know someone before having sex with him or her. Dark places, such as parks at night, or other areas that may be known as locations for men to meet other men primarily for some type of quick sexual contact can be very dangerous. While you may be hoping to meet another gay boy, what you might end up meeting is a gay basher, and you could be injured or even worse. And it goes without saying that in this day and age, there is a great concern regarding disease. There are many sexually transmitted diseases around (not to mention AIDS), and it is almost impossible to know in advance if your desired sexual partner is disease free, unless you get to know them first.
Remember that it is always wise to be cautious when meeting someone for the first time. |
