"Sexual Preference: Trend or trait?" by Danielle King

By Danielle King

You see it all the time: on cable-based teen dramas such as Degrassi or 90210, on talk shows like The View and The Tyra Banks Show and on X-rated shows like Girls Gone Wild.  Homosexuality is being spoken about more and more.  Is there an increase in homosexuality today because it is more accepted and even celebrated in today's society?  Are more girls becoming lesbian and bisexual naturally?  Is it out of curiosity?  Or is it a cry for attention?  It is important to go inside this deep personal dilemma and try to get closer to the truth.

Rejected No More

These days, with the use of modern technology and the switch of the channel, it's almost literally impossible to not be bombarded with images of young women making out or sharing their feelings for one another.  What a lot of people are wondering is why did the number of bisexual and lesbian young women rise?  For one, a lot of it has to do with the time era that we live in.  For the past decade, our generation has been known for breaking the rules and going against the typical status quo--that includes being open about sexuality.  In fact, this new liberation really began in the 1960's in which huge change arose.  The 1960's were a period that involved taking many risks.  New music was on the rise, TV shows were starting to have more shocking material, and drugs were becoming a huge addiction.  Hippies dressed in slacks were smoking all day and telling people to live in "peace."  With all of this new "liberation," everyone was free, able to express themselves and allowed to let their true selves out after being freed of the small-minded fifties.  Fast-forward to a few years, or decades rather, and you have a much more liberal, secular society in which we share.

A Cry for Attention?

While today being lesbian or bisexual is something much less controversial, a lot of students are worrying over whether or not this is just a new trend.  As one Progress High School student puts it, "It seems to me as if being gay is the new thing these days.  It's like everywhere you go, someone's going, 'I'm gay' or 'I'm bi.'  It's like an epidemic."  But while this "epidemic" is starting to get more and more recognized, a lot of kids are starting to wonder where it is coming from.  Some believe that the excessive use of girl on girl action between female characters on television and movies is accountable.  With shows like this, some girls may want to experiment in the same things.  When you watch the teen drama South of Nowhere, a show about a teen girl who moves out of her quiet hometown into Los Angeles, where we all know things are scandalous, it shows young girls exploring their sexuality with many images of homosexuality.  When asked about shows like this, one Progress student said, "When I see girls around our school and on TV discovering that they are gay, I start to wonder if I am too.  The simplest symptoms such as fantasizing about another girl could mean you're gay.  In a way, these shows make me question about MY own sexuality, which is a little scary."

Another reason for the recent rise in homosexuality may be the "special treatment" that some girls get for being gay or bisexual.  When asked on an online survey if girls who claim to be bisexual get more attention, the majority of teen girls answered yes.  In fact, one teenage girl from a Brooklyn high school wrote that guys find it "sexy" when girls claim to be bi because it "turns them on."  Which brings us to the next question: are some young women doing this for a boost of their self-esteem?  When asked about this, the Progress student explained, "It depends on the girl.  At parties, some girls make out or dance or grind on each other while guys watch.  It's kind of typical.  The guys get their 'jollies' while the girls feel better about themselves."

Although this topic can be a bit touchy, there are some students that praise this new freedom.  Chandra Kadar, a freshman at Progress High School, does not choose to take sides.  "I don't care.  That's other people's lives.  They live however they want to.  I have nothing against them.  I'm not for it and I'm not against it either."

Other students find it liberating that society is starting to embrace different, unique personalities, or, in this case, sexualities.  "I think it's good that people are accepting different types of people.  It's about time that being gay or bisexual is being celebrated!" said a high school junior.  Ultimately, many people find this celebration as a good thing because it allows each person to be him or herself.

You Decide

All in all, as the number of gay and bisexual girls is rising, some students are starting to resent it.  As one student at Progress puts it, "I'm over it already.  That's so 2007."  But one thing is for sure: no one can choose your sexuality for you or tell you that being gay is wrong.  If you do consider yourself to be lesbian or bisexual, just make sure that you're doing it for the right reasons, not for recognition.  The way you live your life should be to make yourself happy and not some guy or your friends, but for you.  After all, your happiness and satisfaction should come before anyone else's.