How old were you when you first knew?

[Mia14]

For those of you with orientations other than straight, how old were you when you first knew that something about you was different? How did it present itself?

For those of you with heterosexual orientations, how old were you when you had your first serious crush? What was their name?

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Personally, I knew something was different from a pretty young age when I'd volunteer to play the Daddy in games of "House". My first kiss was with a female childhood friend - although neither of us knew the significance of what we were doing. I didn't really like boys in younger grades, had no really meaningful romantic relationships with boys when I got older, and eventually came out to myself, friends, and family when I turned 18.

My first real crush was in high school. Her name was Kate.

I find that even in the gay community (myself included), we don't always take younger people seriously when they say they're gay because we dismiss their conclusion without the experience of age. On the other hand, many adults who self-identify as gay knew something of it at a younger age.

So how old were you?