[Good Fella]

How old are most people when they discover their sexuality and how do they know that they are homosexuals?

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Name : Good Fella, Gender : M, Race : Hispanic/Latino (may be any race), Religion : Catholic, Age : 17, City : Porterville, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : High School Diploma, 

[Mark Bentley]

I knew I was 'different' from a very early age; most clearly remembered from the 5th grade forward. I didn't know what sex was at that time, but I knew that I wasn't interested in the girls like some of my friends were. The summer before 7th grade was the time of my sexual awakening, but I didn't identify as homosexual. I didn't know what it was. Not much access to info on the subject for a 7th grader in 1972! Young men these days are more comfortable identifying as gay in their teens or earlier. Every coming out story is different, which is why I find them so compelling. There are many books that deal with the subject. They can be found at the larger chain bookstores and the neighborhood gay bookstores. I hope this helps!

User Detail :  

Name : Mark Bentley, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : UFMCC - Cathedral of Hope, Age : 39, City : Dallas, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : Financial analyst, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[Lynn-Powers]

As a gay man who minored in Human Sexuality in college, I have done a lot of reading as well as informally surveys of other gay men. For men (I can't answer for lesbians) the average age appears to be 18--about the same time teens come to terms with their sexuality in general. I self identified as gay when I was 12. That is probably the lowest of a range from 12-22. You know mostly because of strong emotional attachments (love) to other men. Sex, for many, is a by product--a way to physicalize an emotional attachment.

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Name : Lynn-Powers, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Age : 37, City : Washington, State : DC Country : United States, 

[Terry]

I knew as early as first or second grade that I was a guy who liked other guys. As for 'most people' - I can't say. I think, though, that you never really 'know' you are homosexual, so much as you realize you can be excited by someone of the same sex. My feeling is that this validates bisexuality as well as hetero- and homosexuality. Straight people will tell you unabashedly that the reason they are straight is that the opposite sex makes them horny. I think that when you are young (and especially for males), just about anything can make you horny. So, the distinction of same vs. opposite sex is difficult to make. I had a friend in high school who was turned on by pillows (he'd see a pillow and get hard). Would this make him a pillow-sexual? I don't think so. I used to tell him: 'If you'd rather have sex with a pillow instead of going out with a girl - then you've got problems.' So, I'd say it's about degree and comfort with your own feelings. I guess the answer I would give as a 'self-proclaimed' gay male is that you know whenever you come to accept that you are more turned on by the same sex than by the opposite sex; and, whenever you are comfortable revealing that fact to others.

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Name : Terry, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 30, City : Los Angeles, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Computer Programmer, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, 

[Dave]

I think that is a matter of when you start having sexual feelings.I knew from the time I was about 6-7 that there was a boy that I had some kind attraction to. I also people fall into a sexual 'scale' with being very heterosexual on one end and very feminine on the other end and most people falling somewhere in between. Unfortunately the gays portrayed in the media are usually in parades etc... and tend to fall into the feminine category and this is where most of the misconceptions about gays is born and this seems to make 'coming out' that much harder for people that are younger. Most of us are not feminine,or promiscuous and just want to live our lives in peace and get along in life like anybody else, but a vocal minority wants to make it as difficult as possible for teens to come out of the closet.

User Detail :  

Name : Dave, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 35, City : Ferndale, State : MI Country : United States, Occupation : Management, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[johnny29347]

well, I honestly didn't come to terms that I was gay til about sophmore-junior yr. in high school. I kinda noticed that other guys were attractive, but always ignored them cuz I was suppose to go out with a girl. But I can remember in fourth grade that I found one of my brother's friends to be attractive. But, like everything else, its different in for everybody. Right now, I've come to terms with my sexuality, but am still working out how to tell my parents who are very Roman Catholic. Maybe I'll tell them, maybe I won't. It all depends on the individual.

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Name : johnny29347, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 18, City : Cleveland, State : OH Country : United States, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, 

[Tom W.]

I knew when I was four. I didn't have a name for it, but I knew I was different and that I liked looking at men. I've had several friends who didn't know until they were 13, 18, 27, whenever. You'll know when God wants you to know.

User Detail :  

Name : Tom W., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 28, City : Madison, State : WI Country : United States, Occupation : Managerial, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

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