File:Zarade.jpg

Listen to LGBT Youth...

...on the topic of sexual encounters with other teens and adults

"Childhood sexual experience (minor-minor and adult-minor was included in this definition) was composed of three categories: None (no sex before age 18); consensual only (sex before age 18 that was NOT considered by the respondent to have been forced): and forced (having been forced or frightened by someone into doing something sexually at least once before age 18) [J Interestingly, the forced sex group and the no sex group were statistically indistinguishable in their level of well-being, while the consensual sex group was significantly more likely to have a higher level of well-being than either of the other two groups." - Arreola, 2008

"These sexual experiences may provide these adolescents with the opportunity to explore their sexuality and feel affirmed by the gay community. Gay youth often speak of feeling different from their childhood peers and unaccepted by the dominant culture. It may be less threatening for young gay males to seek out an older gay male than to risk rejection and possible humiliation from making sexual advances toward a peer [...] These results suggest that gay men with histories of non-negative, non-coercive child-hood sexual experiences with older people are as well-adjusted as those without histories of age- discrepant childhood sexual experiences." - Stanley, 2004

"Mean age at first experience was 9 years, partners being, on average, 19 years old, and mostly men. Most frequent behaviors were partners exposing their genitals, mutual fondling, child masturbating partner, child performing oral sex on partner, and child being anally penetrated. Only 29% of the participants who had such childhood sexual experiences considered it abuse: 57% reported liking, 29% being indifferent and only 14% not liking the sexual experience at the time it happened. Transgender participants were significantly more likely to report such experiences and, compared with men, had less negative feelings about the experience at the time of the interview." - Carballo-Diéguez, A. et al, 2012

For the papers by Sonya Arreola, Alex Carballo-Diéguez and Jessica Stanley, see DOI: 10.1080/00224490802204431, DOI: 10.1007/s10508-011-9748-y and DOI: 10.1080/00224490409552245 respectively.

First thread this graphic was seen on, was August 2022 - https://archive.is/jN1Y9

Then in 2023 - thread reached 2M compound impressions https://web.archive.org/web/20230226075144/ttps://twitter.com/zaradegeneres/status/1629173321265827841