Suggested Books:

Alyson, S. (Ed.). (1980). Young. gay. and proud! Boston: Alyson.
A book written for adolescents who are exploring a gay identity or who just want information about what it's like to be gay. Facts are presented in a clear, informative, and interesting way, interspersed with personal stories. Excellent for counselors working with adolescents and their families.

Cohen, S., & Cohen, D. (1989). When someone you know is gay. M. Evans Co.
This book is directed at straight teenagers. It includes a wonderful video and film bibliography. For secondary grades.

Eichberg, R. (1991). Coming out: An act of love. New York: Plume.
Using clear, empathetic, and direct language, Eichberg, a trained psychotherapist, explains in detail how coming out radically alters self-perception and your relationships with others. Using examples from his own practice and letters from gay people to their mothers, fathers, siblings, and friends, Eichberg puts a positive, forceful, but gentle face on the process of coming out and the complications that it sometimes raises.

Herdt, G. (Ed.). (1989). Gay and lesbian youth. New York: Haworth Press.
Here is a pioneering volume that explores adolescent homosexuality around the world. Social scientists explore the personal experiences of gay and lesbian teenagers from culture to culture and address the problems and obstacles these young people face.

Heron, A. (1983). One teenager in ten. Warner Books.
Personal testimony of gay and lesbian youths. Very helpful to youths, parents, and counselors attempting to understand what it means to be young and gay.

Suggested Films:

Beautiful Thing - A sweet love story of two working class teenage boys in England. Here is the story: A young man who is struggling with coming out, convinces his family to befriend his crush who is also being beat up by his own family. And though the story is touching, many entertaining moments come from the family's eccentric neighbor.

Boys Don't Cry - Hilary Swank plays transgender teen Brandon Teena who falls in love with a girl who doesn't know that he is transgender. The tragedy ends in violence against a person whom the other people don't understand. Hilary Swank, best known as "The Next Karate Kid, did an outstanding job, and all her hard earned work won her a Best Actress Oscar and a win for acknowledgement of transgender issues.

The Broken Hearts Club - A group of surprisingly stereotyped gay men, who are down on their luck and love, center their lives around a gay owned and themed restaurant called The Broken Hearts Club. Watch it to see Dean Cain (of Superman fame) and the hunky Andrew Keegan play gay.

But I'm A Cheerleader - A dramedy about a girl who thinks she is straight, but is sent to a school for recovering homosexuals because her parents have their suspicions about her sexuality . It's a sweetly romantic love story between two young women, and a must see for the mere fact that it has RuPaul in non-drag trying to play it straight.

Edge of Seventeen - An homage to 80’s movies about love between two boys. You know all those 80's Molly Ringwald movies like Sixteen Candles and stuff like that? Well imagine that, except in gay form. This one involves a boy that dresses like Boy George. It also happens to be the title of a classic Stevie Nicks song as well!

Get Real - One of the breakaway gay hits of 1999, Get Real is a sharply observed coming-of-age story infused with charm, humor, emotion and a knowing sense of the difficulties of being a gay teen. Steven (Ben Silverstone) is a thin, pale-skinned, dark-haired 16-year-old living in the new British suburbia with his upper-middle class parents. Despite his youth, Steven knows that he is gay (since 11) and, although not open, experiments with sexuality at the local park men's room! Life changes for the soft-spoken teen when he locks eyes on the school's strappingly handsome super-jock John (Brad Gorton). The two are attracted to each other, but John's self-hating fears of others finding out about his sexuality threatens to tear apart their tentative relationship.

If These Walls Could Talk 2 - If you've seen the first one, you know the basic story. It revolves around one house throughout the years, which in this case houses several generations of lesbians. The first one, a couple in the late 40's/early 50's; the second, a during the sexual revolution of the 60's; and then in the 90's, with a lesbian couple trying to have a baby. Ellen Degeneres, Sharon Stone and Chloe Sevingy (who also appeared in Boys Don't Cry) star, while Vanessa Redgrave won an Emmy for her character in this movie.

Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love - This thoroughly enjoyable lesbian first love story is a startling film debut by independent filmmaker Maggenti. Randy (Laurel Holloman) is a white high school tomboy living with her lesbian aunt. Evie (Nicole Parker) is a beautiful and pampered black deb from the right side of the tracks. They meet and love blossoms despite their differences. But trouble brews for the two as both of their families undertake to break the lovers apart.

The Laramie Project - An all star cast including Christina Ricci, Janeane Garafolo, Cameron Manheim, and Joshua Jackson portraying different Laramie, Wyoming people dealing with the aftermath of the Matthew Shepard tragedy. Based on the play by Moises Kaufman, produced and aired by HBO.

No Ordinary Love - Some Latino young men experiment with their sexuality while trying to keep on the down low to avoid persecution. A good movie about the extra pressures young people of color who are gay face.

Torch Song Trilogy - Certainly one of the most emotional and adored gay films to have ever emerged from Hollywood, this is Harvey Fierstein's moment of cinematic glory. The story veers from laughter to tears in seconds flat and is one of our top films of all time. Should be required viewing to get your membership card.

Trick - Adorable, Christian Campbell (Neve’s younger brother) and Tori Spelling (who is surprisingly likeable in this movie) star in portrayal of a young gay songwriter who falls for a go-go boy. One of the strong points in this movie is that there is actually no sex in it whatsoever and the two young men respect each other enough not to have a one night stand. Kudos for that. Though be warned, the song that he is writing is infectious and will stay in your head for days.

Y Tu Mama Tambien - Two young men share A LOT of experiences before and after they invite a young woman on a road trip with them. Their friendship is tested in the end when they encounter something neither of them wanted the other to find out.

X-Men & X-Men 2- So there are a few gay points here although there isn't any blatantly gay material. it stars gay actor Ian McKellan as Magneto, one of most the famous comic book villains of all time. But X-Men was accepted into many gay's hearts, including mine, because its about a group of people who are feared and hated by many "normal" people because they are different. Does this ring any bells for anyone?