Before this titled is explained, let me enlighten you with a story. It was a warm summer night, and I had offered to give a coworker a ride home. As we both drove off in my car there was a silence. To break the awkward silence, I decided to turn up the radio to cover the silence, and then he asked the question, “When did you know you were gay?” At that moment, I would have rather dealt with the silence. I did not know how to answer the question. Many joke on being born this way, but we are not GAGA, and that answer is a cliché response. I tried to dig deep within myself to come up with a proper mature response, and it was not achieved. My response was, “I felt different.” I regretted it once the response left my mouth. The conversation branched off into other gay-related questions, but only this one remained on my mind. When did I know I was, gay? A timeline of my life played in reverse. Was it when I came out? No, I knew way before then. Could it have been with my first same sex kiss? No, but that did seal the gay title. This question began to sink into my skin, and it would not leave my mind until I found a proper response. Growing up, one feels different and awkward but this is a part of the process. Research shows one is not born gay, sorry GAGA. This does not make it a choice. One cannot choose to be gay. Through time, one develops feelings, and emotions. By puberty, many agree they knew for sure. In that period of life, emotions and feelings are fully blossomed. There is no scientific research to credit this response but it does seem realistic. Some individuals can sense their feelings before puberty, and vice versa. If I am asked the question once again, I can respond with a detailed response instead of the vague feeling different remark.
