Dita

Dita, age 2

Buena Park, California (1979)

Even at around age 2, I was pretty gay. This photo from Knot's Berry Farm is one in a series where I was sitting with different statues. In all the other pics, I'm not smiling. But as soon as I was sitting with the ladies? SAY CHEESE! Notice my hand on the lady's arm on the right. Early onset moves.

"I call this picture my 'root' "

I always knew I liked girls. A lot. I didn't understand what this meant until I was in my teens, but I always understood I was very different from my boy-crazy friends. Growing up 'playing house', my female friends always wanted me to play the 'dad' and practice kissing them, which I never had a problem with.

Coming out for me was a horrible experience. I was about 14 when I was outed by our family doctor. I spent some time in a mental-health facility, and was eventually kicked out of my home. After that, I had limited to no contact with my family for over 16 years.

Through my rough childhood and difficult teen years, the one person who was always there for me was Madonna. Her music touched me, and I lived for her interviews on MTV. She is smart, strong, and most importantly to me at the time - she is open, understanding, and full of love for the gay community. She made me feel like even if I was different, I wasn't alone or ugly for who I was.

To you young gays now: Being gay can be scary, especially when it comes to dealing with your family. You can feel alone and isolated, and if your family is anything like mine, you can feel afraid.

Please know that you can make it through. There are people out there who will love you for who you are. And support you, even if they are not your biological family. You can build your own support system, and possibly with time, those who have walked away from you will once again rejoin your life.

Dita's first, famous-person same sex crush:

Kellie Martin (in "Troop Beverly Hills" & "Life Goes On")
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Click here - "Born This Way: Real Stories of Growing Up Gay" book
Click here - "My First Gay Crush Blog"

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