How old were you when you knew your sexuality? (boyfriend, dating, mom)

[artillery77]

Around here, few people trust their children, so birthday parties turn into mostly adult parties with a bunch of kids running around a home. While attending one such party the other weekend one little girl was staying aloof and not joining in the fun, sulking in the TV room. I think she's 10. Anyway, I knew her well and asked why she didn't want to play with the other kids. She said she was sad that her mom had made her worn a dress. Indeed, she had a very nice dress on. I complimented her on it and said that her mother had chosen well, when out of nowhere she noted that her mother had yelled at her and accused her of being gay because she wouldn't wear the dress. I told her of course not wanting to wear dresses didn't make someone gay and the two things weren't related at all. She shook her head and told me that she didn't like boys and that she thought she was at least bi.

The understanding hit then. Her parents would be...unlikely to be supportive of this...at least at first, I never want underestimate people. I told her there was nothing wrong with this and assured her things were fine, but did ask if they knew. She said no, that nobody knew. So I reassured her again that there's nothing wrong and that I wouldn't tell them, but I suggested not telling her parents quite yet as she was too young to be dating anyway. She agreed and seemed relieved and bounded off to play with the others, but I felt like a hypocrite for telling her to keep it from her parents.

I mean, I'm just shocked at how fast kids grow up now, but I can't recall how much I knew at 10 and grew up in time/place where if you weren't straight you would have hidden that from everyone else.

Thus the question, how old were you when you knew your sexuality?

[Dewdroplet76]

I think that this is something that you might not be as aware of if you are straight simply because being straight. I'm straight - and I remember having "boyfriends" or boys that I liked when I was in preschool, kindergarten, 1st grade, etc. But I'm not really sure when sexuality came into play, if you know what I mean. Perhaps it was there all along or perhaps I was simply mimicking what I saw on TV and in my home. From what my friends have told me, they knew they were "different" from a very young age - but it took them awhile to really understand it.

But I'm pretty sure at 10 that I knew for sure that I was straight. I had a huge crush on Brian. He was "dating" Kim.

[JerZ]

I remember "liking" boys starting in kindergarten. I even remember my very first crush's first name. It was Billy. I don't remember his last name. I tried to jump rope five times in a row without a skip in between to impress him but I was so nervous that I stumbled.

I daydreamed that we would be married. Obviously, there was nothing to do with sex in the fantasy. I doubt there was even kissing. We would be married and we would hold hands and I would make him breakfast in the kitchen. We would have one son and one daughter.

I don't remember thinking about boys in that way before that, but then again, I only have isolated memories before that time. They're very scattered.

[OzzyRules]

Around first grade when I started noticing girls.

[Stymie13]

4

[HappyRain]

Originally Posted by JerZ

I remember "liking" boys starting in kindergarten. I even remember my very first crush's first name. It was Billy. I don't remember his last name. I tried to jump rope five times in a row without a skip in between to impress him but I was so nervous that I stumbled.

I daydreamed that we would be married. Obviously, there was nothing to do with sex in the fantasy. I doubt there was even kissing. We would be married and we would hold hands and I would make him breakfast in the kitchen. We would have one son and one daughter.

I don't remember thinking about boys in that way before that, but then again, I only have isolated memories before that time. They're very scattered.

This. Now oddly enough, when I was younger, I was very interested in the female body, and liked looking at women. You'd think I would be a lesbian. But that wore off. lol In real life, then even on television, movies, and books all of my crushes and infatuations were male.

Far as sexual fantasies / feelings, those didn't come until I was around 16, with a guy in a show I liked. Any crushes I had before that were non-sexual, least it wasn't something I thought about.

[Auraliea]

According to my family, I was fairly young when I developed my first crush. It was on a boy in my kindergarten class.

Since then all of my crushes and serious feelings have been for men. I've never been attracted to a female.

[TabulaRasa]

I "liked " boys from kindergarten on. Hormonal attraction didn't come into the mix until puberty, obviously, but emotional crushes came much earlier.

That said, I'm sure I was socialized to like boys.

[MoonBeam33]

When I was 5 I knew I liked boys and girls, but I didn't know there was a word for it until I was around 10 or so.

[Mikala43]

I never liked girls at 10, I like boys. That continued, so that is my sexuality. I think you *know* at a young age, thought there is nothing sexual about it.