How Young is "Too" Young to know?

I think that age is far too young. At that age, yes a person may know if they are "different" or shows display signs of opposite-gender behaviours but that does not automatically equate to them being gay.

For example a seven year old tomboy may just be a rejecting traditional (and limiting) gender roles - it doesn't mean she is going to be gay. I think labelling at that age is probably the child or parents using adult-world stereotypes and norms and applying them to the child. At a pre-puberty stage its just guesswork whether the child is actually gay and there will be a lot of false-positives (effeminate boys that turn out to be straight, masculine boys who turn out to be gay etc).

Give me a quid for every football-loving "tomboy" I know who is happily married in a heterosexual relationship and I'd be rich!

 

I don't think I actually said to myself "I am gay" until sometime in my teens, but there were definite signs earlier on. Before I was 8 I had developed a habit of cutting out the faces of good-looking men from the weekly TV magazine and sticking on my bedroom wall. It literally covered the wall in a sea of faces, and the first time I had friends round in my room, they freaked out a little over it.
Not to mention, playing doctor was only interesting when I was playing with boys, not girls. I did have a "girlfriend" in primary (elementary) school, but I kissed her perhaps once or twice, and frankly, I was more interested in stalking the hot male afterschool club workers than spending any time with her. With hindsight, she was a friend, nothing more. And even during my "am I bisexual?" phase, I can see now that I was just clinging onto the last hopes that I might be somewhat straight. I knew deep down I was gay.

 

I wish I actually knew what gay was/meant when I was at school (most of primary school and all of high school). It would have been nice to have a word/meaning for it instead of constantly wondering why all the girls weren't attractive to me and why the captain of my cricket team was.

 

I realized I didn't fit into the 'gender box' when I was just a few years old, but I started to notice girls at 10. Developed my first crush at 9, but didn't understand it until later on. It can happen at any time- some people at 4, some people at 40.

 

I knew when I was 11. However, I did like to dress up as a girl and play with barbies when I was much younger... Maybe 6 or 7 years old? I didn't know I was sexually attracted to the same-sex until I was 11.

I suppose it's different for everyone.

 

Depends on when puberty starts but really I'd say 11 sounds reasonable .
Sounds about the time sexual feelings start

 

I'm only 14, and knew when I was 12, but I had feelings when I was 6 or 7. I think 10 is a good age to really begin knowing. of course there are exceptions... but I think ten is good.