Risky Business

Were We All Slutty, Binge-Drinking, Drug-Taking Teens?

Ok, ok. Maybe not all of us got handjobs while tripping on ecstasy at a warehouse rave when we were 13, but a recent study by the CDC did find that LGBT teens were more likely to engage in risky behavior involving drinking, drugs and sex in comparison to their straight counterparts.

The study attributes the findings to LGBT teens growing up with a lack of supportive environment.

An earlier study pointed to similar findings–that gay teens are more likely to binge drink, attempt suicide and contract an STD at a younger age, all of which has been linked to anti-gay bullying.

“We all remember times in our teenage life when doing ‘bad’ things (or saying that we did them) made us feel either more accepted or drew attention away from the real problems we were facing, in many cases problems involving bullying and self-worth,” Marke Bieschke, co-author of Queer: The Ultimate LGBT Guide for Teens, told Queerty.

“The positive thing is that the CDC is investing resources into studying queer kids’ lives,” Bieschke adds. “Encouraging gay youth to talk about what they’re experiencing, and recommending action to make things better for teens now before these behavior patterns carry through into their adult lives.”

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