Long Distance Relationships; an LGBT Teen's Savior! | Plucky ...

Crossing the bridge from child to adult requires a perilous journey through the teenage years. Navigating through schoolwork, family, friends, and dating can be difficult enough. For LGBT teens there can be an added complication; finding someone to date can prove to be quite a challenge, especially for those in small or conservative towns. This can be very troubling for teens. They see their friends dating, experiencing love for the first time, and often feel sad and left out simply because they live in a place where, because of their sexual orientation, there is no one for them to make that connection with. As an alternative, many teenagers are turning to long distance relationships to form the bonds they may otherwise miss out on. These relationships, while not easy, have rapidly grown in popularity with America?s youth, and are giving LGBT teens a chance to experience love just as their straight counterparts are.How does one go about entering a long distance relationship? With social networking?s recent rise in popularity, many teenagers are turning to the internet to find the love they crave. Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and teen chat sites have all proved to be good platforms for the start of long distance love.

?About three years ago, I met a girl on a forum and we ended up falling in love. The logical step after that point was to enter a relationship, so after a bit of internal conflict, I initiated one and we?ve been together since!? said?Rachel W., who just recently met her girlfriend in person for the first time. While these relationships can sometimes be hard to manage, many teenagers feel as if the distance is something they can overcome, and that is proving to be true in many cases!

?I didn?t feel like the long distance was part of the decision [to enter my relationship]. I knew it was there but I didn?t really think about it,? said Eva D., who has been in a strong long distance relationship for the past five months. ?The best part is knowing that we can be apart and still work well together.?

Every teenager I spoke with, however, was very clear about one thing: communication is key!

?Texting, Skype calls, and talking on the phone are all very important. Just making sure that you?re making the other person a part of your life as much as possible,? said Mariam M., when asked about the most important factor in keeping a long distance relationship strong.

While texting, Skype, and other forms of electronic communication are helpful, long distance love still has it?s hardships. ?The worst part is not being able to do the little things with that person. Not being able to hold their hand, take them on dates, all of that. It can get very hard to deal with,? said Amber S., who ended her long distance relationship after being apart became too much to cope with.

?You have to remember that you?re not in the relationship for a reason. Most long distance relationships aren?t started simply for the sake of dating, but because two people saw a real connection with one another. They think they can take it further in spite of what is keeping them physically apart, and wait for the day when they no longer have to be,? said Sophie G., who is also currently in a healthy, strong long distance relationship.

While every teenager may have the ?fairytale? idea of meeting the perfect mate- eyes meeting across a crowded cafe, instant connection, talking for hours, the age of the internet is showing the world that there is more than one type of fairytale. Sometimes, it isn?t eyes meeting across a coffee shop that set off an epic romance, but rather a comment on a photo or a mutual interest in a television show that results in writing in each others? Tumblr ask boxes and chatting for hours. In today?s world, the options to find love are limitless, and America?s LGBT youth is proving that to us.

?Why limit your options to only the people in your town? There are 6 billion people in the world, why not take the chance to connect with them?? said Sophie G.

Source: http://pluckyonline.com/2011/09/03/long-distance-relationships-lgbt-teens-savior/

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