Oasis Journals | A Writing Community for Queer and Questioning Youth.

By Janis Ian

The Dads (surely you remember them from previous articles) are worried that their son, Jason, will grow up with no sense of tradition. It's difficult enough parenting as a gay couple, striking new ground with every step; the child needs some sense of continuity. Not wishing to inflict their own religious stereotypes on him and being more inclined to paganism (or priapism) than to regular churchgoing, they've decided to teach him the religions of the world. Christianity seems a good place to start, since many of Dad 1's forebears were Catholic priests. "Besides," they reason, "if we start early, he'll have more time to get over it later on."

Elizabeth Katz, 18, of Boston, Massachusetts

By Jeff Walsh

When Elizabeth Katz was 14, she had an experience that forever changed her life. "I had an experience I don't think very many people have," she says, now 18 and a first-year student at Vassar College.

"It was some sort of voice in the back of my head," she says. "I was sitting on my bed, alone in my room and the little voice said: 'Hey, know what? You're gay.' And it was just boom, everything made sense.

Revenge is sweet for Janis Ian

Janis Ian By Jeff Walsh

Before I was born, Janis Ian was making beautiful music. And with her spare, acoustic recent album "Revenge," the tradition continues. Going into the interview, I was more familiar with her humorous and poignant columns in The Advocate. For some reason, although I had picked her CDs up in stores, I never bought them.

Latest journal entries.

Friends

22 February, 2003 - 8:53am — DiamondDog

Sam is actually off looking for stuff. Ash and I find...the granny panties. Chonies. You know, the kind you can parachute with. I comment I'm going to sew in the leg holes and make a purse. We were just laughing so hard...and I realized how much I need that.

Tags:

DiamondDog's journal

personal explorations of the dramatic arts

22 February, 2003 - 6:09am — linds

I deleted my previous two entries, because I've worked to resolve the situation in a more constructive way. I think that venting is healthy, but I couldn't go back and edit those entries into anything valuable. I love the new delete and better edit features in this version of Oasis.

-----

I thought my last semester was supposed to be a joyous time. Time when I could -- finally! -- have fun.

Tags:

Linds's journal

CASTRO

22 February, 2003 - 5:24am — sneezing gurl

Today was a day that will go down in History! Well not techinically, but YES in my book it will. I went to CASTRO, the hub of the gay community in the Bay Area. I'd been dying to go there, since God knows when and today I finally gathered up the courage to walk through the entire town. It was captivating, no it was surreal. My hand were sweaty and I was jittery, because I'm a complete and utter closet person, although I have to admit that I was on the lookout, for LESBIANS/BI's.

Tags:

Sneezing gurl's journal

Would you go camping in the Alaskan wilds?

22 February, 2003 - 3:24am — ahumancondition

Saturday morning the group sets out to go camping in the Alaskan wilds.

But---do I want to go? The stress of being around Dan has increased tenfold since this morning, when he sat next to me instead of Lauren and Kale on the opposite side of the room. Sophomoric as it may sound I felt the battle lines being drawn, and the strength of his true loyalty was a lifeline, (though, perversely, I tried to hide how grateful I felt to the extent that I may

Tags: