Do you believe people who say they didn't know they were gay?

How could someone be not awere of his/her own sexuallity?
- Denial, and not everyone expresses sexual/emotional bonds toward people in a loving sort of way so early.

 

hint: ask them.

 

Not everyone knows early in life. Simple as that.

I wasn't in denial till I was 18. I just legitimately only liked girls. Then it just made sense in my head at some point that summer that I could like guys too, and it didn't bother me. Not denial or anything of the sort.

Just because you experienced something different doesn't make it not real. I've seen the same things said from people who don't believe in bisexuality and transgender...ness? and the likes.

 

I didn't know that I wasn't straight until I was 12, and I grew up in a very accepting atmosphere. The desire for sex typically develops during puberty, so it makes perfect sense to me that someone might not realize whom they want to screw when they're only 6. Of course, some people do just know earlier than others, or later.

 

So are you implying that people who say they didn't know they were gay at an early age are lying? Why would they lie about when they knew they were gay?

 

I've just never been in love before. Yes, I knew I was different. My friend once said: when I look around, I actually never see the girls. I do see the boys, of course.
I thought: why not look at the girls.
But I didn't realize until a few weeks ago, when I fell in love with Kim.

 

Before one develops sexual feelings, one is unable to really know what they're attracted to.

 

Even though I've, to some degree or another, always known I was attracted to men, it seems closed-minded and self-centered to disbelieve others who say they didn't know just because -I- didn't go through that same experience.

 

Ah, that's different than what I thought you were saying. I don't understand that either, but when someone says something like that, it doesn't necessarily mean they were 100% sure they we're straight until they hit 20, or whatever age that you'd think one would know by.

It could have been denial, or maybe they just always thought it was a phase and then finally accepted it at that age. So some people probably just refer to the age of when they came out to themselves. Not necessarily the age of their first clue, or the age when they knew something might be up.

 

It's not my place to say that I know someone's mind better than they do.

 

I do believe them when they say that because I am one of those people (people who were unaware of their orientation). Though clearly, I was only unaware for my childhood.

I do not believe people are born gay. Or for that matter, straight. I don't think sexuality is a choice either. I liked girls throughout my elementary school days and according to the OP, you are born knowing what you liked. Well, I liked girls back then. Does that mean I was born straight? I never liked boys until 6th grade. So apparently, I didn't know what I liked when I was born. Does that mean I was born straight then turned gay?

I agree with IsItSo:

I wasn't straight turned gay. But I was certainly not born gay because if being born gay meant I had to like guys immediately, I wouldn't fit that description.

 

Obvious troll is obvious.

 

I find your attitude very naive and disingenuous.

American society is much more accepting of homosexuality than when I was a teenager.

Matthew Shepard was killed during my senior year of high school. I grew up in a rural Texas town. I remember the story being kind of a big deal around town.

You what the big deal was. That the murders even had to stand trial for killing that faggot. The general consensus was that Matthew Shepard got what was coming to him.

At the same time I heard from my church about how evil homosexuals were. That they were sent here by the devil to destroy our families and to rape our young boys.

And you know what. Compared to the generation before me I had a walk in the park. Once you understand what we went through you can understand why it took so long to figure our our sexuality.

So before you judge someone, walk a mile in their shoes.