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