But John especially has had moments of feeling insectoid - like during one school choir trip, when, he says, the teacher booking rooms felt it necessary to inform the other students' parents of John's 'orientation.' When they balked at their kids sharing a room with him, John was doubled up with another teacher - a fate nearly as alienating as Gregor Samsa's. John's favorite short story is 'The Metamorphosis.' Sure, Kafka's fable of waking up to discover you've morphed into something that makes everyone tweak speaks to every teenager. The Nerd Nook is what John's mother calls her 16-year-old's bedroom - it's more cramped than the bridge of the Enterprise, with a Roland CM-322 that makes 'You've got mail' thunder like the voice of God. There's a light on in the Nerd Nook: JohnTeen Ø is composing e-mail into the night. Now, online interaction lets teens find other gay youngsters - as well as mentors.
In the past, teens had to wait until they were old enough to get into a bar to meet other gays and lesbians.
