Did you "know" at a young age?

When I was around 10-12 I had a small little crush on a guy. I didn't know what it was at the moment but now I know that that was one of the first sign that I was gay.

 

What counts as young/ is considered as young? I think of myself of young as really anytime before high school, that's when I matured the most. I really began to realize in 7th grade when I started becoming attracted to the girls at my school. I was absolutely sure in 8th grade but being the 8th grader I was I decided to ignore the facts, and suppress my feelings all throughout 9th grade until 10th grade when I finally told people. But I guess you could say I realized at a young age, because I started finding myself and making all the realizations in middle school.

 

Yay! It's a club What a threesome!

Wait...

 

Heh, same

 

I picked sort of. I had my first ever crush on a girl when I about six or so. But at that age, I didn't think anything of it. Then all throughout school my attractions were more towards girls. Things didn't finally click until years later. So I guess I kinda always knew, its just that it me a while to realize it. The signs were always there

 

No. I didn't realize crap until ~ 20.

...I wish I had known (a lot) sooner...the fact that I learned it so late (in my eyes) pains me.

 

I didn't even start questioning until I was 15. Looking back there were probably some signs but I thought nothing of it since I liked guys all my life.

 

No but I kinda wish I did. For the majority of my life I thought I was straight. I had crushes on boys for as long as I can remember. I always thought girls were pretty but I never had any crushes on the girls in elementary school. I didn't even think about girls in a romantic and sexual way until around high school.

I have to admit when I first started questioning, I was ashamed that it took me so long to realize I might not be straight. I thought all lgbt people knew what they were from a very young age. But when I joined Empty Closets, I was surprised to see so many people who knew at a later age and people who were still figuring themselves out. It was so comforting to know that I wasn't the only one going through this.

 

I had no clue. I always liked guys when I was younger, but then again, I kind of made myself like guys because all my friends did and it was the thing to do. It wasn't until maybe 14 that I started having actual feelings for guys, and not very many. I only realized I like girls a few months ago, and I know in the last 2-3 years I've had crushes on girls without realizing they were crushes, and sort of suppressed it all.

So I was probably 16, maybe 17 when I first started having feelings for girls, and then 19, nearly 20, when I actually acknowledged it. Life's been good since.

 

I knew I was different when I was younger, but that was only for my sexuality, meaning asexuality. I never thought I'd identify as panromantic, but when all the other girls in my school had crushes and wanted to start dating, I'd just sit there like, "This is a good book. I like this book." I never knew why. For a little bit, I thought I was asexual without even knowing the term. But then I started to have crushes and, since I thought asexual meant you don't like people like that at all, I figured I was 'normal' and just a late bloomer. Then I had crushes on both girls and guys. Then I started to really question.

 

Please define your terms; else a poll is meaningless.

I kinda want to say "yes", because I knew at 16...being 48, I consider that quite young. But I can't help thinking that when you say "a young age" you mean more like 6-8ish.

 

My friends and family insist that they knew before I did. Lol

 

definitely a no from me! I had no clue...it's weird looking back on all the clues i just totally missed. Similar to BiKate above, I kind of made myself like guys when I was in middle school/high school because my friends were. And there is the rare guy that I still find attractive so I guess I just always thought "i bet every girl is as picky as I am"....turns out not so much haha.

Didn't really fully understand my sexuality until mid 20s...and really I'm still questioning a bit!

 

I come from a Christian (albeit very liberal) family, and I've always known I'm gay. I've just never had fantasies about girls - sure, I've commented on girls being attractive and said that I found them hot, but I never really felt it. I've always had a fascination with and attraction to men - simple as that.
I struggled in the closet for years - not because my family or I are homophobic, but because I was terrified 'God would hate me' - not because I'd been taught that, only because I was just scared. This was massively amplified by my OCD/anxiety, making me feel wracked with guilt and desperate to apologise to God whenever I had a fantasy etc. Then one night, I just posed the question "what if i don't apologise?" to myself, and I worked out that God would love me just the same as ever. I have reasoning for this, but that's for another time.
Hopefully this will help contribute to the discussion, and possibly aid someone in coming out, even if it is only 'to themself'.
- Leo (!)

 

I was around 13 when I realised there was a name for what I liked, so yes

 

Kinda, kinda. Didn't really notice, but I was always looking at boys and saying they were cute.

 

I realized I was bi when I was 13, I started thinking I was a lesbian when I was 16, and then I only recently realized (again) that I actually am bi. I can look back and tell that I've been into both girls and guys since 4th grade, but I didn't consciously know that until 8th grade. So I knew young-ish, but not that young.

 

I always knew I was attracted to girls. I couldn't deny it.

What I didn't knew and refused to admit was that I wasn't attracted to guys the same way straight girls around me were...

About my gender, I had no idea... I was blind.

Sooo... sort of.

 

I started to question my sexuality when I was 12 and I'm still trying to figure it out at the age of 14.