You can’t tell if someone is GLBT by their profession, appearance, mannerisms, income, or political views. Unfortunately, especially in schools, youth who fit the stereotype of either gay or lesbian are subjected to ridicule, abuse, and isolation, regardless of whether they are actually GLBT or not.

There have been people in all cultures and times throughout human history who have identified themselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (GLBT). Homosexuality is not an illness or a disorder, a fact that is agreed upon by both the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association. Homosexuality was removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of the American Psychiatric Association in 1974.

Some people say that they have "felt different" or knew they were attracted to people of the same sex from the time they were very young. Some transgender people talk about feeling from an early age that their gender identity did not match parental and social expectations. Others do not figure out their sexual orientation or gender identity until they are adolescents or adults.

GLBT rights are not special rights. PFLAG works to achieve equal civil rights for all people, including our GLBT loved ones. Our GLBT children, friends and family members deserve the same rights as our straight ones.

Gay men, lesbians, and bisexuals are as varied in their style of dress, mannerisms, and interests as their heterosexual counterparts. You usually cannot tell if someone is gay, lesbian, or bisexual just by looking. (Sometimes this question is an expression of curiosity about what gay people find attractive. More often, though, it is about physical stereotypes.) Some gay men, lesbians, or bisexuals dress or act in stereotypical ways on purpose.

The general consensus in Psychology and Medicine is that genetic factors probably do play some role in determining sexual orientation. This genetic background is then accompanied by environmental factors such as the culture you grow up in, your parents’ education and beliefs, your religion, whether you meet gay friends in your youth, etc. etc. etc.—factors that shape this (perhaps only somewhat) predetermined orientation, either smothering it or letting it unfold.

Unlike some minorities, gay men, lesbians, and bisexuals can be inviable if they choose to. This invisibility reinforces the assumption that everyone is heterosexual. In order to fight this invisible, many people feel it is important to be openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual, even to people outside the circle of fancily and friends. If we remain silent about our sexual orientation, or lie about it, then people may continue in heterosexist assumptions.

People’s reactions will vary. We live in a society that expects people to be heterosexual, so some people may not be supportive of your orientation. Other people who you believed would be supportive may not be, and that can be difficult to deal with. The best thing you can do is find support from people who are positive about your coming out, such as gay-straight alliance, a GLB Youth support group, and other allies. See the resources section.

Sometimes it takes a while to come to terms with a sexual orientation that is treated differently from the mainstream—take your time! Whatever age you are when you question your sexuality, you may not know what to call yourself and that’s okay too. Some prefer not to label their orientation at all. Since sexual identity takes time to develop, you will be able to better articulate your identity as time goes on.

Connections between purple and ancient gay stories and traditions indicate that lavender has considerably more significance than the mixture of “female red” and “male blue” colors. Purple represents, brings about, and is present during radical transformation from one state of being to another.

For some gay and bisexual people the coming out process is difficult, for others it is not. Often lesbian, gay and bisexual people feel afraid, different, and alone when they first realize that their sexual orientation is different from the community norm. This is particularly true for people becoming aware of their gay, lesbian, or bisexual orientation as a child or adolescent, which is not uncommon.

The Kinsey Institute suggested that approximately 10 percent of the population may be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. This would equal approximately 28 million (per the U.S. 2000 census). However, the basis for the percentage is greatly disputed. Gay men, lesbians, and bisexual people are found in all walks of life, among all racial/ethnic groups, and at all socioeconomic levels. In addition, the number of transgender people is greatly disputed and largely unknown.

Answer: - Peace Corps Volunteers must be U.S. citizens at least 18 years of age. Married couples without dependent children may be accepted if the spouse also qualifies for an assignment. There is no upper age limit. The Peace Corps does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age (over 40), disability, sexual orientation, or political affiliation. All Peace Corps services are administered on this non-discriminatory basis.

This questioner probably does not support gay, lesbian, or bisexual parenting. You may want to ask why such parents might be bad for their children. The response might reveal some of these assumptions underlying the questioner's concern: Children need both male and female role models in their lives to grow up healthy, and a same-sex environment does not provide this.

No. Homosexuality is not an illness or a disorder, neither is being transgender. It is as much a part of human diversity as being left-handed, short or tall, black or blue-eyed. A person's sexual identity and orientation are just another piece of who they are. On the other hand, what is wrong is the discrimination they face in society today based on their gender and sexual orientation -- at home, in schools, at workplaces and in the larger community.