Daniel

Daniel, age 5
Quincy, IL (1959)

When I was small, my family fished every weekend on the Mississippi river.
We'd use bamboo poles and earthworms and fish off my dad's home made boat.
We would fry the fish we caught for Saturday night supper.

I don't remember much from back then.
I know the facts, but they don't seem like they happened to me. I do remember not feeling different, I just always liked boys.

But I didn't like a lot of things boys did - sports, rough and tumble, competition. Fishing, yes. But I was also a bookworm, and liked growing flowers. I loved "Davey Crockett" on TV, and I had a coon-skin cap.

My parents loved me, but they didn't want me to be gay. I was bullied a lot, and I had a secret route that I walked home from school, to avoid the bullies. Growing up, the only thing I wanted to do was to leave town.

And I did.

My message to LGBTQ kids now is:
If people mistreat you, it means there's something wrong with them, not you.
It really does get better and better.

Daniel's first, famous-person same sex crush:
Greg Morris (on "Mission Impossible")
I think I became a tech geek partly because of him.
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Also check out "My First Gay Crush Blog"

Betty

Betty, age 7
Berkeley, California (1989)

My 1st clue that I was gay occurred before I was even born. My mother thought it would be an excellent idea to name me "Billie" i.e. after Billie Holiday. As a tomboy growing up, and later as an androgynous-variety lesbian often hit on by gay men, I find it hilarious that I very easily could have been named Billie.

I mean, how much more confusing would that have been when asked the dreaded "Are you a boy or a girl?" question?

That was often flung at me at recess.

Later in my life, it was the gay guys who'd ask me, "Hey there cutie, what's your name?"

The 2nd clue that I was born gay can be seen in Exhibit A:
This photo of me showing off my guns in my Little League uniform.

I loved sports, was on every team imaginable, and was often the only girl on the team. Especially SOFTBALL and BASKETBALL. Yes, I wrote those in all caps, because they are - after you include GOLF - the most lesbian of sports possible.

The 3rd and most compelling clue of my innate lesbianism, is that when I picture my future, I see two brides walking down the aisle. And later, having my own children whose first words are "mama" and "mommy."

And you know what? I feel extremely grateful that in a world that may sometimes frown on this particular version of a happily ever after, I can live each day feeling proud of who I am.

Yup, I am excited about my super awesome lesbian future.

Betty's first, famous-person same sex crush:
Geena Davis (in "A League Of Their Own")
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Also check out "My First Gay Crush Blog"

David

David, age 9
Longview, TX (1978)

"Grease" was the word back then, and I was no exception. Seeing John Travolta on the big screen gave me a funny feeling in my nether regions. And I knew then that something was different from the other boys who had the same reaction, except over Olivia Newton-John.

I believe I wore this T-shirt out.
It basically fell apart, and still I fought my mom to keep it.

The music of the day was, yes, disco, and I loved it: "Knock On Wood,"
"Le Freak," "Heart of Glass" etc.

I even had my very own polyester Hustle suit, performing "Do The Hustle" to anyone who'd watch.

It's no wonder I was picked on, since
I would wear my suit to school and dance The Hustle there as well.


Growing up in a small town isn't unique. Yet I felt the brunt of being different more, because I'd been molested during this time. In this photo, I see the David who trusted everyone. And a boy with deep sadness behind those smiling eyes.

My experiences as a young gay boy in a small - and small-minded - town were typical: extreme bullying from both boys and girls. Now that I can look back,
I still see the looks on the faces of those who were fearful of what I represented.

But now, I also see the fear in their eyes. They're the product of parents who were ignorant, and it trickled down to their children.

Life has been kind to me through the years, so I can, with ease, forgive those trespasses against me. And I am more able to love and receive love, because of the tough experiences that I thought would never to end.

But they most certainly do end, and life gets so much more rich as one matures.
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Also check out "My First Gay Crush Blog"

Sandy

Sandy, age 10
Etiwanda, CA (1979)

I was always a "tomboy" growing up. My parents allowed me to participate in team sports, which was rare for girls during the 1970's. The organization I played for was called Miss Softball America, and they wouldn't allow girls to wear sliding pants. So we had to wear these mini skirt/shorts combinations.

I grew up loving softball and was the only freshman on the Varsity team in high school.

I started getting crushes on girls that I played softball with when I was around 8-years old. Of course,
I didn't think of them as crushes.
I just thought I was normal and that everyone felt as intensely towards their friends as I did.

My family was ultra conservative and religious, so I don't even remember hearing the word, "lesbian" until I got older.

I was never really interested in boys, but had some boyfriends growing up. Usually those boys liked me, because I could play ball with them.

Even in high school while my friends were going boy crazy, I was too busy writing poetry for my female friends. I still didn't think of myself as a lesbian.

It wasn't until I moved out on my own that I discovered my sexuality. The first time I kissed a woman, I finally understood why I had never felt passionate about a man before. It was a completely different experience, and it felt totally normal. My childhood of crushing on girls finally made sense!

That was many years ago, and I have never felt ashamed or wrong. And I have to laugh when I see people saying homosexuality is a "learned behavior."

I was totally and completely exposed only to heterosexuality as a kid - and I still came out gay. And I'm still playing softball today. Now at age 41, I'm loving my life as an out and proud lesbian.

Sandy's first, famous-person same sex crushes:
Sharon Gless (on "Cagney & Lacey")
Dana Delany (on "China Beach")
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Also check out "My First Gay Crush Blog"

Reidar

Reidar, age 7
Seattle, Washington (1975)

Just a submission of me on my 7th birthday. I loved my Big Josh doll, who was a friend of Big Jim.

Our parents would usually try to get my brother and I similar gifts.

As our birthdays are just days apart,
Big Josh was my present.

Even though I had no idea what gay was back then, I knew I really liked that doll.....er....."action figure" a lot.

And I think my pic sure shows it. LOL!

My message to youth is:
Be yourself. The world today is a better place because of diversity.
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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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Adelina

Adelina, age 6
Panagyurishte, Bulgaria (1994)

Here I am at my 6th birthday, posing with a doll. As you can see, I wasn't very happy about that fact. I'm not sure if I cried then, but being a very sensitive child, I probably did. I was a very serious and quiet kid, and always full of questions -
'Why, how, where…?' I'm blessed my parents felt it was right to answer them all.

I've always felt different, but the knowledge of it came later at school. I realized just how different I was from my classmates, when I was 15-years old. At 17,
I came out to a few friends, then my sister. And soon after, to my parents as well.

Even now there are people who say my being gay is just a phase. But, there are mainly wonderful people who support me, and who are so gay friendly that even I am surprised.

Now, I know I'm much stronger than the kid in my picture, and no one can tell me to do things I don't want to do. Now I'm being myself, proud of who I am.

As a young gay adult myself, all I want to tell gay kids today is:
Be strong, be proud, be loud, go out!
Because nothing can hurt you more, than not being yourself.

Adelina's first, famous-person same sex crush:
Melina Kanakaredes (on "Providence")
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Also check out "My First Gay Crush Blog"

Robert

Robert, age 3
Torrance, CA (1974)

Here I am with my proud dad and mom.

By this age, I had to wear those glasses and an eye patch, to correct an eye problem I was born with.

If you look closely, I'm wearing a butch Rams football jacket.

But to make up for that,
I am also holding my own purse, and a pink flower in the other hand.

Also check out
"My First Gay Crush"

Robyn

Robyn, age 3
La Grange, Illinois (1987)

This is me, my baby sister, and my grandma. I am on the left, of course!

I was always a late bloomer, in all aspects of my life.

I didn't come out until after
I graduated college. But somewhere deep inside,
I knew I was queer by age 3.

I mean, look at this photo!

I know the photos we submit don't need to "scream gay" to be posted on this site...

But I think this one does just that!
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Click here - "Born This Way: Real Stories of Growing Up Gay" book
Click here - "My First Gay Crush Blog"
Click to follow this blog with Bloglovin' Tweet

Michael

Michael, age 4
Adelaide, South Australia (1988)

After years of hating to look at photos of myself, this is one of my favorites. Because even though there is a happy smile on my face, there is still something different about this little boy!

The name calling and bullying started in 2nd grade. I had no idea what a f*g or a poof was, but I knew it meant I had to try to hide it. But I didn't know how to be what society wanted me to be?

While I loved to play dolls and stuff with my sister, I was obsessed with cars and bikes and doing stupid stunts. So I felt completely confused.

Was I going to turn into a girl like everyone said I was, or was I going to turn into a boy?

When I was 11, it started to make sense: I was a boy who liked boys.

I was also a boy who liked doing girl and boy stuff. And once high school and hormones hit, things got worse. My flamboyant side shoved its way out even more. I hated being me!

I desperately wanted to "own up" to who I really was, and though everyone else knew it, how could I admit to being gay? Then in 10th grade, enough was enough and I came out. The bullying got worse, but I felt secure in myself.

If they were going to torture me, at least I knew it was because of my honesty.

My friends were fine, and not a bit surprised. But I never knew how to tell my parents, so one Wednesday night while watching TV, I just blurted it out.
I was dizzy and in tears. I swore they knew, yet they said they had no idea.

After a few rocky months, they came around. I'm now 27, and have been an out and proud gay man for over 10 years, and life couldn’t be better!

Things HONESTLY do get better.

Just hang in there, and you will figure out how to be the "you" that you were meant to be. And you will do it with your head held high!

Also check out "My First Gay Crush" Blog

Brent

Brent, age 4
Hanover Park, IL (1964)

As a kid I fancied long hair, and loved my mom's hat and dish towel for the full effect.

And this is a YouTube video
of me at this age, where I fashioned a dress out of a dish towel and have that "off the shoulder dress look" going on.

Earlier reports from my family have said I was prone to carrying mum's purse around at family gatherings.


I am happy I was born this way. My friends tell me I laugh in my sleep, actually.

Through all my perils of addictions, cancer, and losing my mate of 19 years to AIDS related ALS, I'm still full of hope and laughter.

Carlos

Carlos, age 7

RS, Brazil (1998)

I live in Brazil, and somehow I always knew that I was gay.

I had many years of discovering myself, and I'm finally happy with who I am!
Now, I'm so lucky with all that I have: my friends, my family, and my boyfriend.
And to all who might feel sad now, there is a happy ending!