Coming out as a teenager can be a downright terrifying experience, but has it gotten a little easier in recent years? That seems to be the gist of a recent NY Times Magazine article about the trials and triumphs of gay, lesbian and bi-sexual high-school middle-school students sharing their orientations with the world.

Still only 12 states have passed laws to protect students from bullying and harassment on the basis of sexual orientation, but countless numbers of schools across the country — urban, suburban and rural — foster tolerant atmospheres, thanks in part to youth-focused organizations like Openarms Youth Project, the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and the Gay Straight Alliance Network. “This is the first generation of gay kids who have the great joy of being able to argue with their parents about dating, just like their straight peers do,” a professor of developmental psychology at Cornell University says in the piece.

But coming out still isn’t a process welcomed with open arms everywhere. Explains Eileen Ross of the Outlet Program: “No one says to [boys who like girls]: ‘Are you sure? You’re too young to know if you like girls. It’s probably just a phase.’ But that’s what we say too often to gay youth.” Read the inspiring article in its entirety here.