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I don’t know what is going on in this world. I don’t read many blogs. I have come across two, though, each written by a gay teenager. They are each different in their styles, yet both are interesting to read because they give me an insight into what it is like to be a gay teenager. However, recent posts on both blogs note that their existence is being threatened.

They are being threatened because they are young teenagers and they write about their sexual encounters. I’m not speaking about writings that are explicit or about serial, anonymous encounters. These two boys write about having boyfriends and close friends that they are sexual with. The sex being written about is no more explicit than stating what the young participants did—wanking, fucking, etc.—and that is how they describe it! There are no graphic details. I have read other blogs by teenagers where some of the entries on the blogs included explicit descriptions of sex. That is not what either of the two teenagers are writing about—and it is not all that frequent in their writing.

So, what makes these two blogs so offensive for those who are complaining? That the participants in the actions are underage? From my readings all of the participants are underage, so there is no abuse, everyone is consenting. Are the complainers afraid that such writings will give other teenagers ideas? Last time I checked, if given the opportunity, most teenagers would be sexual—particularly if they were gay! If they were gay, there is no worry of pregnancy. As long as the participants were not engaging in promiscuous sex with lots of partners, what is the harm? And, from what I know, wanking—aka jerking off—even if done mutually is not one of the high risk activities for becoming HIV positive, or for the transmission of any other STD.

These two bloggers are teenagers writing about their lives. In both, the boys are sexually active and their parents know about their orientation and are accepting. They write about their lives, all parts—going to school, activities with family, worries, successes, joys. I’m sure there are many more gay teenagers who wish they were sexually active and are not, and who wish they could tell their parents and have them accept their orientation that have not done so. I suspect there are far more teenagers who do not blog about their lives than who do. So, the blogging of these two teenagers should be helpful to those gay teenagers who need some reassurance, who need to know they are not alone in their feelings and desires.

It seems those who find offense are trying to rebuke the writing. There are many blogs out there that have writings that I do not agree with, yet I don’t try to rebuke them. So, why do others want to attack what they do not like? They don’t have to read the blogs. Why can’t teenagers write about their lives? It is just writing.

However, I do understand that my thoughts, my feelings, my values are not shared by many. All I need do is read about those who are “nuts” about Sarah Palin. They and I do not share the same thoughts, the same feelings, or the same values. Yet, they have the right to express their opinions. The same holds true for those against health care reform in the U.S., particularly those who say such a change would be socialism and that the current system is not broke.

Just because something is written does not mean it is true or wholly true.

Back to the two gay youth blogs. What also rustled my feathers was that one was accused of not being authentic. That is, not being written by the purported author, a teenager. Of the two blogs, the one that was supposed to be fictional was not in a style that was out of sorts for someone writing a journal with a life to live and who was a teenager. The other blog is written quite eloquently and quite thoroughly. As one who tries to write substantive postings, to do so daily would take me hours if not the whole day, whereas, the second blog has postings, with pictures, that make my writings look brief. I do not purport that either blog is written by someone other than the professed described author—both teenage boys.

Why would anyone want to present themselves as something they are not? Neither of the two blogs requests money or solicits other favors. Both just journal their lives. So, why write something that is fictional?

I know I am naive. I know that there are those out there who do things that I can never fathom. But, do not those who do so have a motive? Do they not want to gain something?

For example, there was the journalist, Stephen Glass, who wrote for The New Republic and many of his articles were false. His motive was for the recognition; although, it seems from the portrayal in the movie that this need to deceive was (is) also a character flaw of Mr. Glass.

What other motives would one have to write a fictitious blog?

Would I read a blog that is purely fictional? If it was well written and the story line was engaging. I think back to the stories of Charles Dickens. When he first published each story they came out serially. That would be the same for a fictional blog. The same was true for Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City. The story was serialized in the San Francisco Chronicle. Yet, neither Dickens nor Maupin characterized their work as real, both were pure works of fiction.

I feel the blog is a perfect vehicle for serialization of a story. The web would make the reading experience far more rewarding and evolved. Just think of the inclusion of photos to emphasize the story and links on certain words or phrases in the story that would take the reader to a further understanding of the context or knowledge of a reference. Sure, such writing would be more cumbersome than writing for the usual publishing venue, yet the extra effort would reward the reader.

So, what does this all have to do with the title for this posting?

Did I do any of the things written about in either of the blogs when I was their age? No. When I was the age of the two authors there was no Internet—at least to the knowledge of the general public. Personal computers were not even invented. Bill Gates is only a month older than myself and he did not begin Microsoft until he was in his twenties! Did I even know what gay meant? No. I did not even know that there were such people who were that way. The worse that I heard about as a teenager was the Haight-Ashbury/Woodstock free love.

A different time.

Now, though, I have a broader understanding of the world. There are still aspects of it that I do not fully understand. Yet, with the plethora of information available on the Internet, I cannot understand how some persons believe what they profess to believe.

To tie this posting in with previous ones, it may be my personality type. It may be that I live in my head too much, which is characteristic of someone who may be an INFP.

All of this contrarianism may stem from the fact that the world is changing too quickly for many and they have a need to hold onto what was.

I say, as long as the person writing the blog is truthful and honest, and is not relating information that is harmful—where is the problem? Someone who is gay and writes about it will not change any teenager into being gay, even if they are relating positive experiences. No one chooses to be gay. It should be quite apparent that no one would choose to be gay given the long standing animosity and hatred shown toward gays in the U.S. Some teenagers might experiment, and some might fall into that gray area between being straight and being gay where they feel sexual toward whomever is attractive to them at the time. But, for the most part, those who are straight will be such, and those who are gay—hopefully—will live their lives as an openly, well-adjusted, gay person.

To want to rebuke two young voices makes no sense. To not help those less fortunate makes no sense. To line one’s pockets at the expense of many others makes no sense. To lie, cheat, and steal makes no sense. To wage war and not try to reconcile differences makes no sense. Then again, I’m out of sorts with the way the rest of the world acts and thinks—it seems.