One may be tempted to assume that to be gay in 2004
is easier than it was twenty-five years ago.  Without a doubt, people's
mentality has evolved and measures have been adopted to make homosexuals feel
more accepted in society.  However, a large number of gay and lesbian youth
are still struggling with the idea of identifying themselves as
homosexuals.  The only way we can improve the situation so that youth are
comfortable to express themselves is to talk about it.

So what's your story?  How was your ‘coming out' experience?  How did you feel on your first date?  Have you encountered homophobia at school?  Are you a double minority – an LGBT youth who's also a visible minority?  We're looking for personal stories from youth – for youth. 

Guidelines for Submission
Submissions must be made in writing to  mystory@alterheros.com

Your submission should be typed, and for our reference should include your name, and email address.  Your email will never be published online unless you ask us.

What to Submit
AlterHeros is interested in receiving written submissions from youth.   What can you write about?  Anything that you've gone through or experienced emotionally or physically.  Anything that's touched you or just made you really really angry.  We want others to hear your story. 

And if you have a picture (jpg/gif) that you'd like to accompany your submission, send it to us (just make sure you have permission to use the picture from the owner and are not infringing on any copyrights/trademarks).

Article Length
Articles on AlterHeros vary in size. Most articles are around 1000 words, but we'll even accept major articles upto 2500 words in length.

Style
AlterHeros articles vary in style, but here are some general guidelines: We look for stories that are well-written, funny, hip, smart, and read more like a conversation than an academic disertation.  AlterHeros articles should be well reported and contain no factual errors. For columns and opinion pieces, feel free to use slang, your own opinions, madcap language, etc. to enhance your article.

Posting the Article
Once we receive your submission and review it, the article will be posted online in an appropriate section, unless you indicate to us in which category you would like your submission posted.  We will post your name as author so that proper credit is given to you but if you choose to remain anonymous, no problem, just let us know in your email that you don't want your name posted, and we will gladly comply.  And don't worry, your email will never be posted online unless you ask us to. 

Happy writing!