Coming Out Poll

[confusedkid]

Hey Everybody!

I thought I'd put this poll up since I think it might be interesting for people to know what other people's experiences are with coming out.

So, what age did you "come out"?

Now, I know that the phrase "come out" means many things to many people; when did you know you were GLBT, when did you first tell another person, when did you tell your family, etc. But I think it should mean, in order to include everybody on the forum, when you first came out to yourself. Perhaps another poll, or if you wish to add it as a reply, can be about when you first told another person.

So... when did you first say to yourself, "I am gay/lesbian/bisexual!" ?

-CK

[confusedkid]

So... since I asked the question, I guess I'll start.

I was ~16, I think, after suspecting for awhile that I was gay, that it actually hit me that I am.

Though, it wasn't until I was 19 that I told another person.

-CK

[joeyconnick]

I think I've mentioned before that I was 15 when I realised it but it wasn't until I was nearly 20 that I admitted and actually said, "I'm gay."

[Paul_UK]

I sort-of knew since I was around 14 or so, with some more realisation at around 17, but I didn't start to accept it until I was 27. This is when I feel I came out, so I have selected 25-30 in the poll.

[nisomer]

Well I guess I kinda started noticing that I was more interested in guys than in girls when I was around like 12, and throughout the years, I would ask myself the question of 'am i gay?'. I guess I realized that I really was gay probably around 14 or 15, and during that time I would just ask myself the question of 'why me? out of all the people in the world why ME?' Until more recently I found sites like this and noticed that I was not alone at all. And it was around March or April when I truly accepted myself, at the age of 16.

So I really don't know what to put for the poll.

[confusedkid]

I guess I realized that I really was gay probably around 14 or 15, and during that time I would just ask myself the question of 'why me?

So I really don't know what to put for the poll.

I'd say the 12-15 area.

-CK

[nisomer]

will do :)

[goratrix]

oh... well. If I really look back I've always kinda known. But I started facing the possibility when I was almost 16... then I finally and utterly accepted it and started coming out the day I turned 18. First to myself, and then to my friends... now the count goes up... and I've never been happier about myself...

[hawkeye]

I remember liking guys since i was 11 or 12, but i practically hated that part of me for a while. It wasnt untill little more than a year ago (15y.o.) that i actually accepted myself and all. Then this weird thing happened this year, about 4 months ago that i felt like i was ok with myself, but i knew that there was the chance that others wouldn't like me for who i am. Hello mental breakdown, bad grades, and seclusion. Oops. That wasnt the case. I've found so much support since I've come out, at least to those I've come out to. Looking back i guess i just happened to be in the wrong mindset. Not sure what I could have done about that though.

[popboy]

I sort of knew that getting aroused while watching naked or half naked men at the age of eight was weird. At twelve I realized that I didn't like girls. At fifteen I had some feelings towards a guy, but I never managed to cope with them. I didn't know that you could have those kind of feelings for someone of your same sex. Wasn't that a choice?!?! I hadn't chosen that!!! (damned catholic education).
I had always been an introverted and melancholic guy since my childhood. Later it got even worse.
I think that not having a kind of "gay role model" or at least a good mental health led to my strange development afterwards...
At 24 I sort of realized that I actually liked men. Till then I would have classified myself as asexual, if I'd got to know that label. I'm probably "asexual" still.
At 28 I had a huge personal crisis (that involved my homosexuality as well as some other personal stuff), and only then I finally came to terms to my sexuality (or the lack of it), and told myself "OK, I'm gay, no need to hate yourself, it's not a flaw".
That happened last year. I still have some issues about my personality that I have to deal with (too many to mention), though I'm definitely a happier guy. It sounds like I'm selling a magical remedy, but that's just the plain truth!

[hawkeye]

you know, mentioning porn, I vagly remember watching my first porn about... 4 and a half years ago, and being facinated with the guys more than the girls, but i ended up ignoring the guy. It worked for a little while, I only realized that i was watching the guys a year and a half later. Wow, forgot about that. Further proof, I've always been this way, I just havent realized it. That reminds me of a standup comidian's routine, i think it was the comedian Ron White. Here's the story as presented by someone else:

He had a friend who was a homophobe. Always ranting and raving abour "queers this and fags that". One day Ron tells his friend that in his opinion, EVERYONE is gay, just by different degrees.

The friend says "Uh-Uh, no way, I aint no queer." Ron says, "I'll prove it to you. You like to watch porn?" Friend says "hell yes, you know I like porn." Ron says, "You only watch girls on girls?" "Hell no, I watch men doin' women!"

"You rather watch it when the men have small flacid penis's?"

"Hell no, I like them with big hard dicks!" OOPS.

I was rolling on the ground laughing when i saw this on tv.

[confusedkid]

you know, mentioning porn, I vagly remember watching my first porn about... 4 and a half years ago, and being facinated with the guys more than the girls, but i ended up ignoring the guy. It worked for a little while, I only realized that i was watching the guys a year and a half later. Wow, forgot about that. Further proof, I've always been this way, I just havent realized it. That reminds me of a standup comidian's routine, i think it was the comedian Ron White. Here's the story as presented by someone else:

He had a friend who was a homophobe. Always ranting and raving abour "queers this and fags that". One day Ron tells his friend that in his opinion, EVERYONE is gay, just by different degrees.

The friend says "Uh-Uh, no way, I aint no queer." Ron says, "I'll prove it to you. You like to watch porn?" Friend says "hell yes, you know I like porn." Ron says, "You only watch girls on girls?" "Hell no, I watch men doin' women!"

"You rather watch it when the men have small flacid penis's?"

"Hell no, I like them with big hard dicks!" OOPS.

I was rolling on the ground laughing when i saw this on tv.

HAHA Very true. I saw that quote somewhere once too... but like has been said, it's really who you focus on (and more to the point, fantasize about) than what you see in a porno. It's pretty safe to say that a straight guy is still straight even if he watches a guy screwing a girl....

-CK

[Lava421]

In first or second grade I questioned my sexuality when I noticed I didn't like breasts, as opposed to a classmate's comments. I thought it was when males are attracted to males but I wasn't sure. Nevertheless, I knew I had an attraction to males.

After waking from a dream about a male classmate in fourth grade, I thought about the dream. I noticed he was a male and I was a male which is when I first told myself "I'm gay."

[escortwgn]

Well for me I was 'bout 14 (freshman), I crossed paths with me dad's porn adverts, which had everything.....Time moves on, I found the gay/bi section, I thought thats kinda cool..but wrong. I ignored the thought. Moved to N.C. and tried the whole girlfriend thing to try to get me going str8. That ended real fast. Joined 'uncle sam' that made me like guys even more. I came out to myself when I was 20. It was only recently when I started coming out to you guys and my friends. But to tell you the truth, life is good being gay!

[confusedkid]

But to tell you the truth, life is good being gay!
Damn straight it is! WHOOPS! No pun intended...

[Jordano]

To be honest, I think I've always known there was something different about me. In elementary, I didn't hang out with the guys and played football or basketball, I was with the girls and occasional other guy, talking on the monkey bars about random stuff!

In Jr. High, I was the hugest music geek ever, which I still am and damn proud to be, but I also did show choir and again, no sports, so a rumor got started that I was gay, not cool at the time. Of course it wasn't true, or so I thought, so my friends and I would just joke about it. But it was still annoying, so I dated girl after girl, basically playing the field. I wasn't ever not turned on, but it wasn't anything really special, until I met my girlfriend, Jess.

We've been together all through high school and now even, the whole me being gay wasn't around anymore. But I still couldnt help my feel something concerning that and always questioned it. It wasn't until my Jr. year in High School when I realized I had crushes on guys so I would flirt pretty bad, but bad enough to make them think I was just joking around cause they were homophobic.

It wasn't until this year when I really said to myself, "I'm bisexual at least, if not gay." So it'd have to be when I was 19. And it was all because I met the most incredible guy ever - my love is everlasting with him it seems! I'll stop now before I write a book on him! LOL

[Kinuki]

Well, I haven't gotten far enough along in the process to know exactly where I stand yet, but I can answer the question, I started realizing I had gay tendencies.

I think it was when I was 14, about a year ago. I was with my girlfriend then, and she was a great girl, she's really sweet. But after we kissed, I didn't feel anything except a sickening, churning sensation in my stomach, like I was nervous, humiliated, or ashamed, definitely not love. After going through an intense blue period, I realzed that I was starting to show gay tendencies. I was aroused by guys, but not as much, if at all, by girls. And so, for the past year, I've been trying to figure things out, but it wasn't until December last year that things started getting to where they are now.

[joeyconnick]

Well for me I was 'bout 14 (freshman), I crossed paths with me dad's porn adverts, which had everything.....Time moves on, I found the gay/bi section, I thought thats kinda cool..but wrong. I ignored the thought. Moved to N.C. and tried the whole girlfriend thing to try to get me going str8. That ended real fast. Joined 'uncle sam' that made me like guys even more. I came out to myself when I was 20. It was only recently when I started coming out to you guys and my friends. But to tell you the truth, life is good being gay!I knew it! The US military makes you gay! It's all part of their evil agenda!

:lol:

[confusedkid]

I knew it! The US military makes you gay! It's all part of their evil agenda!

:lol:Evil agenda??? They're doin' a favor!!!! :tongue:

-CK

[goratrix]

Evil agenda??? They're doin' a favor!!!! :tongue:

-CK
hmmm... I guess we need an amierican military base down in paraguay... XD

[Proud1p4]

I started to tell friends at 12....a little early but:eusa_shhh

[chrisg]

I used to be totally into women, but then, at 14, I noticed that perhaps I liked the boys in my school a lot better. Hmm. After that, I watched women in softcore porn, bikinis, topless, etc., and that really turned me on--until I saw gay porn. Wow. At 16, I finally said to myself, "I'm probably gay." Now it would be along the lines of "I'm really gay." :icon_smil :icon_smil :icon_smil

I have a running joke with a couple of friends that I get gayer every day. LOL.

[chrisg]

I hope I didn't kill the topic or anything. :)

[Proud1p4]

Wow chris...you might not of killed the topic but you certainely stopped the train haha...you mention the 'p' word and all goes silent:p ...hopefully this post will break the ice...

[Paul_UK]

I thought it was the "w" word that may have stunned everyone into silence briefly! :)

[chrisg]

Oh my goodness! I didn't even realize it! The funny thing was, my viewing was accidental, and I don't think it was even "porn," so to speak. For the most part, it was the same type of stuff that I watched of women--I just found it better with men. Hehe. Let me edit that.

EDIT: I can't edit that post. Well, anyway, I didn't mean that and probably should have proofread it. My apologies--I don't do *anything* illegal!

[imad]

You didn't kill the topic, it's just that a lot of the main-posters had already given their input on it a few months ago... There is no need to feel guilty about anything, but I guess if you really want to be embarrassed it should be because you've made such a big deal out of it ;) ...

Though, now that I'm making this post, I might as well stay on topic. I first found out illegally through online porn; women were good for me at first but men were better. When I found out what "gay" was it was too late to change back, and I had entirely lost my interest in women. Five years later (during those five years, the subject of homosexuality depressed me), I admitted to myself that I am gay.

Ok, now I've used two unspeakable words... both the 'p' word and the 'w' word... let's see if anyone posts at this point :cool: