Growing Up Gay in the South gives voice to the extraordinary struggle of lesbian and gay adolescents as they try to define themselves in a homophobic society. Through the lives of these "sexual rebels," Sears tells stories of courage and triumph in the face of defeat. Growing Up Gay in the South artfully blends the distinctive features of Southern life into the biographies of young people who must make sense of their sexual identities and struggle in a hostile world. Sears gives visibility to a largely invisible population and in doing so he has made a wonderful contribution to the body of information on gay and lesbian youth. - Foreword.