YCTeen: True Stories by teens

YCT Story of the Week

Here, Queer, and Finally Clear

Overcoming my own homophobia was a challenge.

by Adrian Mora

Names have been changed. “Mami, what does gay mean?” Mami paused before replying. I had just started kindergarten. My mom, my baby sister Rosa, and I were eating dinner. “Why do you ask?” she said in a tentative voice. “Some kids at school were calling Emmett gay.”

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My friend Luck helps me see my best self.

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Stories About Grief

Highlighted Stories

No Chance for Goodbye

I was afraid to see my uncle when he was dying; now I’m trying to forgive myself for not showing up.
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By Arvaa Hasan
Frame by Frame: Love in Motion

After my aunt died, I didn’t have any videos to remember her by. Filmmaking has provided me with a way to lovingly channel my grief.
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By Hadiatou Barry
Reunion Is Only the Beginning

After being separated from and reunited with my mom, it took years for us to learn to love each other.
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By Anonymous

More Stories

From Group Chat to Real Friends

By Zi Qi Li

Overcoming selective mutism took time, and Covid slowed that down.
My Father the Imposter

By Sanovia Williams

After my father turned abusive, I learned to look forward to a future without him.
War Transformed Our Family

By V. T.

The war in Ukraine has been devastating, but it’s also brought my parents and me closer.
Home in My Heart

By Arina Limarieva

I had to flee two Russian invasions, but I keep Ukraine close
I Accepted the Short End of the Stick

By S. I.

Growing up with a sibling on the spectrum meant understanding that his needs take priority over mine.
Accepting My Mom’s Limits

By R.P.

She couldn’t always be a good mother, but I won’t let that stop me.
‘Grief Is Like the Ocean’

By Anonymous

Recovering from the loss of my dad has been a long journey.
Reintroducing Myself to the World

By Marlin Xie

Changing my name was the first step in acknowledging my trans boyhood.

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