How did you react when you discovered gay people exist?

This might sound odd, but I sort of always assumed you could be with whoever you wanted, no matter their gender. A lot of this came from school yard politics, and seeing people being together, having fun or pursuing some kind of activity. At my youngest ages, that I can recall, I always thought two people, whoever they were, could "be together", because it just meant you did things together.

When I actually became more informed as to homosexuality, it still wasn't that big of a deal. I just now knew the word, and had a better grasp of the complexity of life and love. Of course, about this time, is when folks started the whole picking on and "you're gay" phase, that seems to engulf the majority, on those who were deemed non-heterosexual or didn't fit in.

So, I already had an inkling. It just wasn't clarified until later.

 

"Wait... you... can love the... same gender? Does that mean I'm gay? I love the same gender."
This was when my grandfather was outed to me by my mother.

My mother had a girlfriend when we lived in Florida, but I didn't realize it was a lesbian relationship until mom told me she was bisexual and her girlfriend was a lesbian. So, at the time, I was indifferent to it. Didn't care that much. You love who you love and that's that. But I just thought my mother and her girlfriend were just friends so I didn't realize that it was an actual relationship.

Then thanks to my grandmother who is against Homosexuality for religious reasons, and the douche bags in school, I had a period of homophobia myself. Then I saw a lesbian couple leave Wal Mart, smile at each other and kiss. Best part, instead of the typical homophobic response "disgusting," I questioned myself and said, "Wait, why is this bad? They're not hurting anybody. It looks consensual. Why am I against it?" Then I became neutral. Shortly after, I started hearing disowning stories where LGBTQ people were being disowned and that saddened me. After I had started suspecting I was Bisexual, I decided I supported the LGBT Community. Now, here I am, and finding myself attracted to women, and skinny/effeminate men with fluffy hair.

I remember I was in Elementary School and I couldn't take my eyes off of a fellow boy. I didn't realize I was Biromantic until recently. Heh. Go figure.

So, there you go. Boring history lesson. You have to pay for this. I want $3 billion dollars. (Kidding)

 

I don't recall when I learned about gay men but I hadn't even heard the word "lesbian" until Jr. High school. It was in a negative context like it was a dirty word or some kind of scandal (generally how homosexuality was treated then) so I was confused and unhappy about it because some classmates were saying one of my favorite teachers was a lesbian.

 

This, and also never understood why being gay invalidated being a "real man". With that thought came a lot of questions about what it really means being a man.

 

Well, when I first found out I didn't consider myself gay, so I was indifferent. But when I found out the large diversity within LGBT and knew I was gay, for once I didn't feel so alone.

 

The first time I heard the words "gay" and "lesbian" was during recess at school when I was like 8 or 9. I asked what they meant and then was just like "ok, cool" and went back to playing soccer. People liking the same gender didn't seem like a big deal or something unusual so I was pretty indifferent.

 

I can't really remeber what I first thought when I found out, but I can remeber that when I was something like 9 I alway got an erection thinking about LGBT related stuff... I guess it was when I was around 8...

 

I was eight, and I would watch Degrassi episodes with my friend Joey at sleepovers (his parents would disapprove). We did it because it was unheard of and so edgy that there were girls who kissed other girls.

 

I think I was baffled. I didn't properly learn about the existence of gayness until, the church I was going to at the time (I was very young- probably in elementary school), had a "controversy" over our priest being a lesbian. They were talking about it after service. Me and my friend heard it but, we didn't quite understand. Both of our families made a huge stink about the whole thing. We couldn't understand why. Then, they decided to have a talk about "gayness" with us. Afterwards, we still couldn't understand why they reacted the way they did. Anyway, the priest had to leave the church and I was so sad because, she was so nice to me. I think they thought that her presence would somehow corrupt us children and turn us gay.

 

I was pretty homophobic back and in denial , and I was taught to hate which meant hatred for people like myself because I was taught being gay was a bad thing .

 

Oh, interesting... I guess I'd probably date a girl myself.

Yeah, pretty much as soon as I found out about them I thought dating a girl kinda seemed like a cool idea.

I found out about it in fifth grade, when rumors were going around that I was a lesbian. I asked someone what it meant, and when they told me I thought, "Okay, well maybe I kinda do like girls..."

 

Same. Growing up in/having parents that are from a very socially liberal country has its perks.

 

Some girl told me what it meant in 4th grade. Though, she had to explain to me again because at first I thought it was another word for "stupid" and called a kid I didn't like "gay." After she explained it again, I didn't think much of it.

 

Curious... at first. Then I realized that I don't many things in common with other gay guys

 

I never "found out". a lot of my first friends parents were lesbians (2/4) so gay people were just as weird to me as straight people. I found out what the term "pansexual" was at thirteen but that was definitely not as significant to as when I found out the term bisexual. I was like eight (I guess my parents just assumed I knew these things) and some celebrity was openly bi and my dad was all like good for her and I was all like what's bi. I was overjoyed at the fact that I wasn't a freak and that other people were neither gay nor straight. That day was pretty awesome and there was some lgbt pride thing that my close friends and family and I all went to as allies and I was legitimately feeling ready to come out as an eight year old but when we got home we turned on the news and after about thirty minutes (I had decided to procrastinate coming out till the next day) some idiot on tv said that bi people were just closeted gay people and my parents were adamantly against this guy's view but it sorta sparked some internal strife. Even now I don't really come out as pansexual, one reason being I dislike labels but also I'm scared to be wrong. I come out "not straight", if I do, not that I do often (not cuz people are gonna be unsupportive, it's really just cuz I don't talk about my romantic life in general, especially to my parents, and it would be really awkward to just start talking about it randomly due to the fact that I'm not straight. It's just not necessary)

 

I didnt even know what gay meant till 6th grade. I was kind of like "oh cool" basically when I learned it.

 

Oh, ok

 

I don't remember a specific instance when I realized gay people existed, there wasn't an OMG moment or anything. However, I do remember my uncle telling me he was gay in passing when I was in elementary school but he didn't make a big deal out of it, it wasn't really even a coming out, just a stated fact, and I didn't really know much about gay people at that point anyway, except that I didn't mind them. Later in middle school, maybe 6th-7th grade, when I realized I was gay, I saw a rerun of George Lopez and saw his character's daughter had a boyfriend who was secretly gay (he made out with another dude which was pretty shocking to me, but also kinda hot). I thought, "Wow, George Lopez was fine with that boy being gay! Maybe being gay's not too bad!" So thanks George Lopez, you da bae. This, among other things helped me a lot I guess.

 

I know I have posted some version of this account on another thread, but for me it was the movie "making love" in the early 1980's. I was alone in the living room when it started to play on HBO. I was mesmerized. As a young boy living in a small, rural community, I had no idea that there was a life like that out there. I couldn't stop watching it, the bar scenes just fascinated me. I didn't know why at the time, but I remember being embarrassed and turning the channel just before my mom walked in the room.