Introduction: damaged goods or recruitable innocents? -- The boys of Portland: a tale of three cities (and one more) -- High school confidential: double trouble times four -- A lesbian at a women's college -- Of bars, sodomy, and demon doctors: just another day in Cajun country -- Queer high and the house of bazaar -- Fear, fame, and fulfillment: from the talk shows to the pulpit -- Postscript: the nature of difference.
Summary
As our country struggles to accept its gay and lesbian citizens, the debate for gay civil rights often focuses on the issue of choice, with the majority of Americans believing that to be gay is a choice, one that's embraced for its lifestyle. This belief ignores the presence and experience of one segment of the gay and lesbian population: its youth. In Joining The Tribe, journalist Linnea Due travels America to create a portrait of gay and lesbian teenagers as an endangered and vulnerable community whose diversity, courage, and resiliency will inspire gay and straight readers alike.