Adolescence, at the best of times, can be like a roller coaster.  It is filled with new experiences and adventures, but at the same time filled with confusion and stress.  As adolescents navigate through their teenage years, they face many challenges.  Bodies, relationships with family and friends, and moods change rapidly as they travel through social, psychological, and physiological puberty. 

In our society, to be a teenager who is gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered means added challenges.  Acceptance of oneself, and acceptance from others, is very important.  Many of our LGBT teens are at risk of depression, dropping out of school, violence, rejection by family and friends, homelessness, drug abuse, and even suicide.

By John "Jasz" Szlachetka, Feature Author

John Szlachetka, also known as Jasz to many of his friends, has been an activist, speaker, and writer for LGBT rights, for a number of years.  A former high school teacher, he has seen the discrimination and bullying  LGBT youth face everyday.   He himself has lived through discrimination and homophobia both from his family and society in general.  This has made him stronger and more determined to fight for the equality of his LGBT brothers and sisters.   Besides his activism, he also councels LGBT couples with problems that arise in their relationships.  He is also a pastor for the Universal Life Church.    When he is not marrying couples, he is saving them from crisis.   You can also find him in many different facebook groups, fighting along side his LGBT brothers and sisters. 

As a member of the 10,000 couples team, Jasz hopes to promote both the e-magazine, and to to bring more couples into our 10,000 couples family.  Now that Same-Sex-Marriage has become an important subject world wide, he wants bring together everyone in the LGBT community to fight for the rights of our community.