District officials have announced a new mentoring program in which gay mentors would spend 10 hours per week with foster children who consider themselves sexually confused or gay. The program will be run by the Mayor's Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Affairs.
Because many teens growing up are confused about a lot of things, including sexual orientation, it's good that they will have someone to talk to about it. There is a general assumption that kids are straight until proven otherwise, and many of them may not have known any gay adults. This may give them the chance to see how a gay person's life is the same and different from that of a straight adult. Because the mentors went through the same thing as children growing up gay, they will know how to deal with the pressures and prejudices that come with it.
It's also important to note that there is more to the mentorship relationship than just discussing sexuality. Teens growing up in foster homes have missed out on 'normal kid' activities, and a mentorship program of any sort gives them a good outlet and growing experience. It's never a bad idea to give foster children the option of mentorship of any kind, regardless of the sexuality of the mentor.
