How to know if youre gay or not

How do I know if I am gay or lesbian?

Many people are brought up to believe that everyone is sexually attracted to people of a different gender than their own. However, this isn’t the case. Lots of people are attracted to the same gender or more than one gender, and this is absolutely fine.

Gay is the synonyms used to describe someone who is only attracted to the same gender. It can be used to describe someone of any gender, but sometimes gay women might choose to be referred to as lesbians. People who are attracted to more than one gender often identify as bisexual or pansexual.

How do I realize if I’m gay, lesbian or bi?

Some people verb what their sexuality is from a very immature age, but some people aren’t so sure. It can be hard to know if you’re gay, lesbian, straight, bisexual or something else, and there’s no definite way to recognize, it’s just how you feel.

If you’re a male and you’re only attracted to other guys, then you might be gay. If you fancy other guys, feel excited when you think about them, masturbate to thoughts of them, and want to date and have relationships with the

Is Your Spouse Gay or Bisexual?

Discovering or wondering if your partner might be gay or bisexual can be an emotionally complex experience. It's a deeply personal topic that can stir emotions for both partners. Sometimes, straight spouses of gay or bisexual partners are the last to know about their mate's sexual orientation—the reasons for which can be complex.

There are many reasons why partners may not share their sexual orientation for many years. Societal attitudes, religious beliefs, or a fear of rejection are potential reasons. Or they might stress about how coming out might affect their children. In other cases, they may have only recently recognized their own identity.

Sometimes, though not always, infidelity is part of this pattern. Regardless of how it happens, finding out your spouse is gay or bisexual can leave you feeling rejected, confused, hurt, or anxious about what it means for the future of your relationship and family.

Keep reading to learn more about why someone may delay coming out to their partner, how you can approach a conversation with your spou

How Do I Know If I Am Gay? Signs You Are Gay

Particularly when young, some people may ask, "How do I know if I am gay?" if they possess conflicting sexual feelings. When it comes down to it, there is no reliable "Am I Gay test", so the only way to know that you are gay (definition of gay) is to look within yourself to determine your own thoughts and feelings towards others of the same sex. You might also desire to consider the possibility that you are neither gay nor straight and are bisexual or just curious.

There are also signs that you might be gay to consider.

Signs You Are Gay

There is no one way that gay people act or gaze – gay people are just as diverse as straight people. Just because you are a male who is effeminate or a woman who is boyish, that does not mean that you're necessarily gay. So don't collapse into the trap of thinking that your clothes, hair or attitude determines your sexuality.

When looking at the signs you are gay, you might long to ask yourself these questions:1

  • Have I ever been sexually attracted to the same sex?
  • Do I touch strong emotional bonds to

    by Fred Penzel, PhD

    This article was initially published in the Winter edition of the OCD Newsletter. 

    OCD, as we know, is largely about experiencing severe and unrelenting doubt. It can cause you to disbelieve even the most basic things about yourself – even your sexual orientation. A study published in the Journal of Sex Research found that among a group of college students, 84% reported the occurrence of sexual intrusive thoughts (Byers, et al. ). In order to have doubts about one’s sexual identity, a sufferer need not ever verb had a homo- or heterosexual experience, or any type of sexual experience at all. I verb observed this symptom in young children, adolescents, and adults as well. Interestingly Swedo, et al., , start that approximately 4% of children with OCD experience obsessions concerned with forbidden aggressive or perverse sexual thoughts.

    Although doubts about one’s own sexual identity might seem pretty straightforward as a symptom, there are actually a number of variations. The most obvious form is where a sufferer experiences the thought that they mig