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Looking for stuff to do for my gay teen son

  • 26-03-2017 3:21am
    #1
    maxplanar
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21 ✭


    Hey all, I'm a Dubliner now living in Los Angeles, and we'll be back home for a bit in the summer with our young lad, who'll be just shy of 16 this summer.   He's out and proud (we live in wonderfully gay West Hollywood), but I'm wondering what/where he could go if he was in Dublin for a few weeks over the summer to meet likeminded others and make some new friends.  He's just turned the age where he is really going out and wants to socialize, and he loves drag queens!   But I want him to have some kind of healthy environment where he can hang out with some other LGBT kids, and not get into the whole bar/pub thing - he's still very young and somewhat naive.   All ideas welcome, and very much appreciated!   Thanks!


Comments

  • #2
    Annasopra
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 41,156 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    www.belongto.org has lots of youth groups etc

    It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

    Terry Pratchet



  • #3
    imme
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,200 ✭✭✭imme


    Good luck with the trip

    Belongto has parent and kids group social meeets afaik

    Your post puts me in mind of Conrad Ricamora's speech, specifically from 9mins 50 or from the start for anyone who has the time

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tnWqNZeFnrY


  • #4
    maxplanar
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21 ✭maxplanar


    Aww, Imme, that's a beautiful speech.   We feel so lucky to have such a fab young man in our lives.   We are very aware that he's lucky to be growing up in such a gay-friendly community, in a 200% supportive fantastic school where there are quite a few other gay and bi kids, and surrounded by a lot of love.  But we also worry that means that he doesn't quite understand how much prejudice he might encounter in less worldy places, and as a Dubliner I'm desperately hoping his experience will be positive.   I well remember how repressive Ireland used to be for my gay friends when I last lived there in the 80s and 90s (though the 90s saw some visible improvement), and I'm really hoping there's a new world of tolerance in the land and city I call 'my real home' - particularly for a young Angeleno just finding his feet in the world.


  • #5
    baby and crumble
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,512 ✭✭✭baby and crumble


    Tbh OP your kid will get more slagging for being from LA! That's not to say there aren't folks who might be homophobic knocking around- of course there are- but a lot of that is systematic hetersexism rather than homophobia leading to physical danger. That's not to say he mightn't hear some homophobic language but it's honestly not hugely likely he'll be a victim of any kind of verbal abuse. Particularly since the marriage referendum I constantly see gay couples of all ages walking around town holding hands and nobody says boo to them.

    As with all 16 year olds, be mindful that they are too young to be "on the scene" as it were. Hooking up with Belong To will be a better bet for a few weeks. If you're around close to Pride then the city is buzzing and there's lots to do.


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