Queer Youth Survey (August 2000)

Date:Thu, 24 Aug 2000 08:34:28 -0700
From:Jessea Greenman jessea@uclink4.berkeley.edu
Subject:Fwd:Internet Survey of Queer and Questioning Youth

Date:Wed, 23 Aug 2000 22:26:22 -0700
Subject:Internet Survey of Queer and Questioning Youth
From:Chris Kryzan kryzan@outproud.org

OutProud and Oasis Magazine Launch Internet Survey of Queer and Questioning Youth
Follow-on to Landmark Research Puts Face on Queer Youth

San Rafael, California (August 24, 2000) - OutProud _, The National Coalition for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth and Oasis Magazine have announced a follow-on to their landmark 1997 survey of queer and questioning youth on the Internet. The new, 180-question online survey runs through October 31, 2000 and is designed to provide insight into the multitude of issues facing queer youth today, including:

Who are today's queer youth? Are they out to their family? friends? school? How has their sexual orientation affected their self-acceptance and self-esteem?
Where do they find other queer youth? Do they date? How often? How sexually active are they? What is their knowledge of HIV/AIDS and safer sex?
Do they feel harassed or discriminated against at school? What is it like to be a queer athlete in high school or college?
Are they out in the military? How has "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" played a role in their lives?
What role does spirituality play in their life? What issues have they faced in reconciling their religious beliefs with their sexuality?
What role has the Internet played in accepting their sexuality and finding community?

"The Internet and America Online have played a crucial role in the development of a queer youth community," said Christopher Kryzan, Executive Director of OutProud. "This generation, as never before, has access to the information that has helped them acknowledge and accept their sexual orientation. Now, we are expanding upon our earlier research to provide the most complete picture ever of the lives of queer youth."

Oasis Magazine is read by over 60,000 people each month. OutProud's resources, which include the QueerAmerica_ referral service and Outpath_ Coming-out Archives, are used by more than 125,000 unique individuals each year.
"The unique nature of the Internet enabled the results of our 1997 survey to include the responses of closeted queer and questioning youth, whereas previous surveys always required some degree of disclosure,"," said Jeff Walsh, Editor and Publisher of Oasis Magazine. "Our long-term presence on the Internet has put Oasis and OutProud into a unique position to reach the queer youth community."

The survey takes approximately thirty minutes to complete, and is delivered electronically via a special Web site at http://www.outproud.org/survey/. The survey is customized for each respondent, based on their answers as it is administered. A report based on the data will be published in January 2001.

Special Preview Site for the Press
Members of the press can preview the survey site at the following address.
http://www.outproud.org/press/

About OutProud
OutProud, The National Coalition for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth was founded in 1993 to provide advocacy, information, resources and support with the goal of helping queer youth to become happy, successful, confident and vital gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender adults. The organization pioneered outreach to in-the-closet and openly queer teens through America Online and the Internet, and today serves more than 125,000 youth each year with referrals and self-help resources, and activists and educators with organizing and training materials. OutProud is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and provides services to individuals and to agencies working for the benefit of queer youth.

About Oasis Magazine
Oasis has published monthly since its inception in December 1995. It features over 70 young columnists ranging in age from 12 to their mid 20s. More than 60,000 readers visit Oasis each month at http://www.oasismag.com/ to read about their lives as queer and questioning youth. Oasis is expected to rebrand itself as an interactive queer youth writing community this fall.

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OutProud can be contacted at:
OutProud
369-B Third Street, Suite 362
San Rafael, CA 94901-3581
Web:http://www.outproud.org
email:info@outproud.org

Oasis Magazine can be contacted at:
Oasis Magazine
80 Elgin Park #8
San Francisco, CA 94103
Web:http://www.oasismag.com
email:info@oasismag.com

Channel Q, OutProud, Outpath and QueerAmerica and are trademarks of OutProud, The National Coalition for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth.

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Last updated 8/29/2000 by Jean Richter, richter@eecs.Berkeley.EDU