Gay 18 year olds

Gay Relationship Advice: Age Gaps in Gay Relationships

Many of my LGBTQ counseling clients ask me why they are only attracted to gay men younger than themselves. If you are happy dating gay men in their twenties, then this question is not important. It&#;s like asking &#;Why do I prefer blondes over brunettes?&#; My advice is to let yourself enjoy dating whomever interests you (as long as they are over the age of 18).

Age gap relationships are more common than you may realize. In western countries:

  • 1 out of every twelve male/female couples has an age gap of 10 years or more
  • that number increase to 25% in male/male couples
  • and 15% of female/female relationships

That same study indicated that age gap partners are more satisfied and more committed to each other than partners of similar age–though there is some study that points to a correlation with higher rates of divorce. Research also shows that couples with an age gap of less than ten years are happier than those with an age gap greater than ten years. You can find more details on these stats on this episode of the pod

Many of you ask: what are some good books about LGBT teens in addition to my own?  

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Years ago I put together the below list. Since then, every year has brought more and more books.  For a more up-to-date list, visit the popular blog: I'M HERE, I'M QUEER, WHAT THE HELL DO I READ? at
 

Also, below is a bibliography, compiled with the aid of James Howe, author of The Misfits and Totally Joe with some of the leading teen novels, poetry anthologies, and nonfiction books with LGBT characters and themes. 
Thanks, Jim!

FICTION FOR YOUNG ADULTS

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Absolutely Positively Not by David LaRochelle (Scholastic, )
Steve is a 16 year old with two things on his mind: sex and getting his driving license. However, he's not thinking about girls when he's thinking about sex. Could he be gay?

Alt Ed by Catherine Atkins (Penguin Putnam Books, )
Participating in a special after-school counseling class with other troubled students, including a sensitive gay classmate, helps Susan, an overweight tenth grade

We’re here to help young gay and same sex attracted men (under 26) take control of their health.

We provide information on relevant health issues, and we offer a range of specific and general services delivered by caring people who genuinely grasp the health issues affecting adolescent gay and same sex attracted men.

Our Work With Young Gay Men

We run a range of FREE peer-led events, workshops and projects for gay and same-sex attracted guys aged

Through our work, we provide a place where young guys can join each other and make adj friends in a safe, social environment. Here they can disseminate ideas with their peers and learn more about identity, coming out, sex and sexual health, healthy relationships and more.

Young gay men have lower rates of HIV and sexual health testing than older members of the community. Of course, this makes sense. Only after people overcome the initial barriers to testing for the first time are they  able to commit to a regular testing pattern. We help young guys to give their experiences around testing and understand why regular testing is importa

"I'm 40, and I came out nearly about a year-and-a-half ago at My wife passed away in January of About five or six years prior to her passing away, I started to realize that I wasn't straight, and figured I must have been bisexual, as I would only ever fantasize about men and watch gay porn exclusively. I was happily married with two kids. We had a normal marriage and sex life in every way. I kept my sexuality to myself, as I felt it was irrelevant and that there was nothing I could do about it. I would never cheat on my wife, and I couldn't imagine hurting her or the kids by coming out and getting divorced. I resigned myself to holding onto this secret forever. I felt feel remorse at times, because I met my wife at a adj age (18), and she had been my only sexual partner, and I knew that having a sexual or romantic experience with a man was something that I could never have."

"After she passed away, I started seeing a therapist for grief. I was holding onto an insane amount of guilt, though. Part of me felt responsible for her death, as if my being bi or gay and that feeling of repent