Growing up gay in the South
Book Description
In the complex landscape of adolescence, few journeys are more challenging than discovering one's sexual identity within a culture that often rejects it. James T. Sears presents an intimate exploration of lesbian and gay teenagers navigating their formative years in the American South, where traditional religious values and social expectations create particularly difficult terrain for young people questioning their sexuality.
Through carefully documented case studies, this comprehensive work illuminates the inner lives of adolescents who find themselves at odds with their surrounding community. These young people, whom Sears characterizes as "sexual rebels," must forge their identities while confronting hostility and misunderstanding from family, peers, and religious institutions. Their stories reveal both profound struggle and remarkable resilience as they seek to understand themselves in an environment that often denies their very existence.
The book weaves together the unique cultural elements of Southern life with deeply personal narratives, creating a nuanced portrait of how geography, religion, and tradition shape the coming-of-age experience for sexual minorities. By giving voice to this often overlooked population, Sears offers readers insight into the courage required to live authentically when authenticity comes at great personal cost.
This substantial 530-page work serves as both documentation and testament to the human capacity for self-discovery and perseverance in the face of adversity.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Long (> 400 pages) (~15 hours)
📄 Length: 530 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Aspect religieux
- ✓ Explore Case studies
- ✓ Explore Adolescents homosexuels
- ✓ Explore Homosexuality, religious aspects, christianity
- ✓ Explore Christianity
- ✓ Explore Southern states, social conditions
- ✓ Explore Homosexuality
- ✓ Explore Religious aspects
