Attention Gleeks! (and non-Gleeks),
Looks like this week's Entertainment Weekly is worth a gander. Here is how the EW staff describes the cover story:
Gay teens are suddenly popping up in major roles all over television, with Glee’s popular pairing of Kurt (Chris Colfer) and Blaine (Darren Criss) leading the way. How did gay teens go from marginalized outcasts and goofy sidekicks to some of the highest profile — and most beloved — characters on the likes of 90210, Pretty Little Liars, and Skins? And more importantly, how is this affecting real-life teens still facing the daily high-school realities of bullying, discrimination, and ignorance? The new issue of Entertainment Weekly investigates the history of gay teens on TV — from the angsty Rickie on My So-Called Life to sensitive-soul Jack on Dawson’s Creek to the slew of groundbreaking characters on Degrassi. We talk to the producers who fought for such progress, the actors who held the career-defining roles, and the activists who cheer recent advances — but are still pushing for more.
Check it out, and report back with your thoughts!
Wow, it started as a monthly "magazine" style site, is now a community site, and at some point in 2011 should morph into a full-blown social network, but on December 1, Oasis turns 15 years old.
I launched the site in 1995 and am amazed by what it has become, as the site has always been driven, created, and supported by the people who share their lives here.
Some of our biggest assets were accidents that I now take credit for, such as not creating a girls forum and a boys forum, which has led to people realizing the problems are universal and the support is welcome from everyone willing to help. This is also useful more recently as our trans membership increases, saving my inbox from messages about reinforcing gender binaries, etc., etc.
I've been a bit absent lately as I've been at a the tail end of one job that was sort of spiraling out of control, and instead of the unemployment I expected, I actually have a 3-day weekend right into a new job with an even longer commute. The upside is that I will be earning enough now to hire a developer and get this site (and my vegan social network) developed in parallel.
So, thanks to everyone who comes here to share their lives, welcome others, and let people who need compassion and concern feel virtually what they might not feel in their offline lives.
I may have created this thing, but everyone reading this is the reason it has become such a special place online.
By Jeff Walsh
Andy South was the youngest gay contestant on Project Runway this season, and made it into the final three contestants who got to show an entire collection at Fashion Week. He may look familiar on the site because he wrote an article for Oasis about his thoughts on fellow contestant Mondo Guerra revealing he was HIV-positive on the show a few weeks back.
Sadly, Andy didn't end up winning the show, but he seems very aware that Project Runway is an opportunity to build on, and from now, it is up to him to succeed.
We spoke last weekend, two days after the finale aired, and the first day he remembers sleeping in for a very long time, as he transitions from being a reality show contestant back to being a full-time fashion designer.
Here's what we said:
I appreciate the comments on my first journal and also the humor! It feels great to finally be part of the gay community.

This coming out story --- together with its expressed uncertainties --- is posted in today's The Link ( student newspaper at Concordia University):
http://thelinknewspaper.ca/article/4082
I found his story quite moving and eloquently expressed... very much reminiscent of what I might have expected from one of our one-time quite prolific Oasies™ who, if my memory serves me right, is (was?) also a student at Concordia...
And... as long as you have today's The Link open, you might as well take a look at this article:

Hey, guys. It's been a while since I've been around. I finished rewatching South of Nowhere tonight. It was a rage inducing show and the acting wasn't always the best but Spashley was cute as hell. :)
Hello!
I'm Riley (my middle name), I'm 15, and live in Florida although I'm originally from Minnesota, moving here two years ago. While this is my first time writing on here, I've been a loyal Oasis reader for over a year now. I finally decided to stop lurking because I think it's time that I start being a part of the gay community, even if it's just online. I'm not out so using my first name on here isn't something I'm comfortable with just yet.

I missed my chance with death, I had the razor going down on my wrists, blinded by emotions, tears streaming down my face and my fucking brain told me to not do it tonight just because today my aunt had her birthday. Typical from me, missing my chances with good things just to make people happy. Anyways I made a tiny cut that will be hard to cover and another 10 that I'll have to explain in 2 weeks if they don't heal fast. I'm fucked up.
Extra information:
This day and last week had been so good (except my suicide night).

So I need to vent and I'm back.
For a while, my OasisJournals wouldn't work for me. Then it began working but I forgot to sign in. I'd remember to do so and then sit down to do it and forget. Which brings me to one of the main things I need to vent about.
I am having a ton of trouble with my memory. I'm not sure if its partially a social phobia/anxiety -related issue or what. But I forget what I'm saying in the middle of a sentence. And I've been very forgetful. I feel like I'm making less sense when I talk but I don't know if that's just a misperception I have.
hey can some people help me out? Ive been under alot of distress recently about who I am. I dont know if Im gay of Bi, or even straight. My sexuality feels like its changing. Like about two weeks ago I was constantly thinking about women. I was thinking about how beautiful they were. I loved everything about them. In fact during a festival that weekend I was over my friends house, and he has this foreign exchange student from saudi arabia and shes very pretty. She usually ignores me but this time she was talking to me, she made me some kind of tea.