Hear Me Out!: True Stories of Teens Confronting Homophobia by Teens Educating and Confronting Homophob, Planned Parenthood of Toronto

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School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-Twenty-two young people involved in a Toronto organization talk about the experiences that led them to T.E.A.C.H. (Teens Educating and Confronting Homophobia), as well as their ups and downs as program volunteers and counselors-and beyond. The stories are frank and personal and sometimes heartbreaking, but they all share a sense of individual growth, personal acceptance, and hope. Another thing they share is a strong allegiance to T.E.A.C.H., which seems to be an effective tool in promoting not only self-awareness, but also tolerance and understanding. Yet, at times, this often-moving collection can sound a bit like a vehicle to promote the organization, which, in some sense, it is. Accordingly, it may prove to be most useful as a resource for educators, youth workers, and parents, functioning as a catalyst for ideas, discussions, and programs. Stories are written by gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transsexual/transgendered youth, and short biographies of the contributor are appended. The book will be useful, especially in the Toronto area, but Mary L. Gray's In Your Face: Stories from the Lives of Queer Youth (Haworth, 1997) and Adam Mastoon's The Shared Heart (Morrow, 1997) may be more accessible to young adult readers.-Jeff Katz, School of Library, Archival, & Information Studies, University of British Columbia Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.