if you think your friend is a lesbian, can you ask her?

how do people become gay?

is it a sin? is it a choice?

No question goes unanswered in this important book about being gay. Allthe basics — and not-so-basics — are covered in more than one hundredquestions asked by real teens just like you. So the answers contain allthe info you want to know. And just in case you feel like sharing,there's a new "parents only" chapter to clue them in too.

Expert Eric Marcus has fully updated and revised this essential guide for today's readers. He candidly and clearly pushes aside the myths and misinformation about being gay and lesbian, answering all the questionsthat are on your mind.

* Can gay people change?

* My buddy told me he has a crash on me. What do I say?

* Do gay people have children? Will their children be gay, too?

* What do gay people do when they have sex?

* What should you do if kids call you "fag" or threaten to hurt you?

All the questions that kids want to ask are here, grouped in chapters such as "Friends and Family", "School", "Love and Sex", and "Discrimination", and answered frankly and reasonably by Eric Marcus, author of the best-selling adult book Is It a Choice?: Answers to 300 of the Most Frequently Asked Questions About Gay and Lesbian People (HarperCollins/San Francisco, 1993).

This book is for teenage kids who are wondering about their own sexuality and where they can go to find guidance as well as for "straight" kids who may not really know what being gay means. The sexual information is forthright without being too graphic; the tone throughout is reassuring and objective; and Eric Marcus also includes quotes from real teenagers — gay ones and not — to give their perspective on the various topics.