At what age did you know you were gay?

[Kenny221]

Honestly, when I was 9-11, I already knew I was gay ( like I mentioned earlier in this thread ) but what I forgot to mention was that the only reason why I didn't fully regonized that I was gay until 13 was that I thought it was a phase everyone went through. I thought it was normal to like guys or find them attractive, I had assumed every other boy went through a simliar phase...but when I was 12 or 13 and realize those feelings aren't gonna go away, that's when I realized I was gay.

[Lilitu]

When I was about 8 or 9 the hints of it started developing, but it didn't concrete until I heard the word when i was about 10.

Then when I was about 12 or 13 I realised it probably was the case that I was gay.

[wondering1]

bumping this thread so wondering 1 can find it

Thank you!

My son always liked girls from a young age. Had a little girlfriend at 5 that he played legos with. Kissed her sometimes and hugged her a lot. He also had boys as friends. In 3rd grade he got a box of chocolate and gave it to a girl. She totally rejected him. That was the last time, I saw or heard much about girls from him. He still had both girl and boys as friends, but didn't seem to have crushes on girls after elementary school.

[kidchameleon]

I think had I known about the idea of homosexuality, I probably would've been identifying with it somewhere between the ages of 6-8, as I had always known there was something a little different, but I had never come across any evidence to make me feel like it was something normal, with a word attached to it, and other people who shared the difference.

Be that as it may, however, I was only completely sure by the time I was 14, and that's pretty much when I began identifying as such, though I didn't start to come out to people until I was about 16, as I figured raising the topic too early would just get it passed off as a "phase" by my friends and family. Which it ended up being for a while anyway...

[ChrisH]

I honestly didn't know what "gay" meant until I was 13. But since at least 12, I knew I liked boys, but I was always under the impression that it was a phase. Blame my family.

I never grew comfortable with it until college.

[TKC]

I was about 6 or 7. By 2nd grade, I knew that I wanted to throw rocks at the other boys on the playground instead of the girls. By 3rd grade I had my first crush on my best friend's older brother - Elliott Smith. 4th grade I had my heart broken when we moved cities and I had to leave my crush, Reggie, behind...and so on and so forth. I didn't come out, though, until I was 18.

Daisy, you're doing a fantastic job as a parent. Your kids are so incredibly lucky to have you. See, what no one's said yet is that coming out is the hardest thing that most of us will ever have to do in our lives. Even if it doesn't make sense, and from the outside people know our family and friends would support us, there's a self-perpetuating fear that you will lose everyone and everything you care about just by being true to yourself.

And, you've done such a great job with your kids - all of them - that this fear gets to be a non-issue for your son (for the most part). I get a little emotional thinking about what a gift this is for him. Mad props, the world needs more moms like you...honestly.

[Edward]

I think I've always knew it. I was about 8 or 9 when I realized I'm not attracted to girls, I didn't know that there's a name for my feelings, I saw all the other boys showing attraction for girls and for a while I thought that maybe it's just me who's different. I came out when I was 18.

[David]

I think there was a part of me that always knew, I just didn't know the name for the feelings I felt. Ever since I was little, like 6 or 8, I remember feeling differently everytime I saw a guy, especially if he had his top off, compared to when I saw pics of women. I didn't really come out to myself, though, till I was about 19 in Uni. Before that, I felt confused. Then I joined the LGBT at my Uni and made some great friends, and it helped me accept my sexuality.

That said, I'm still not out to everyone, like my parents, or even some other friends. It's because I lack the confidence in telling them, I don't know how they'd react (none are pure homophobes, like Fred Phelps, but, I don't know if my parents would be too happy, and I don't want to deal with the looks in their eyes, even if they don't say anything, at least, not till I'm more independent (as in have my own place), if that makes sense).

[niceguy1912]

Your son was so sweet to tell you he was gay. It must off been hard for him to do, and it is good to see that he trusts you and you have a wonderful relationship between u both, for him to be so open with you.

You should be proud of him. Maybe you can also encourage him to go to support groups for gay youths as this way he can also mix with other children who are gay like him.

Well done for being a fab dad, better then mine ever were.

[Arkansota]

I was 16 when I found out.