What If You Only Thought You Were Gay? | GQ

Contents:

• I LIKE GUYS BUT I DON’T WANT TO BE GAY. HOW DO I STOP BEG GAY?
• HOW DO I KNOW I’M NOT REALLY GAY/STRAIGHT?
• KEV MAXEN, JAGUARS ASSOCIATE STRENGTH ACH, OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR U.S.-BASED PRO LEAGU
• JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS ASSISTANT COACH KEV MAXEN MAK HISTORY AFTER COMG OUT AS GAY
• SO PEOPLE THK I'M GAY...
• WHAT IF YOU ONLY THOUGHT YOU WERE GAY?
• I’M MALE AND I AM AAID THAT I MIGHT BE GAY

I LIKE GUYS BUT I DON’T WANT TO BE GAY. HOW DO I STOP BEG GAY?

I'm 24 and don't thk I'm gay anymore. Long story short, I was nvced that I was gay all throughout high school and llege.

Well, I've been openly gay so long that would look really weird to my fay and iends if I showed up wh a girliend sudnly. Also, how would I expla to her that I thought I was gay for ten years?

I even have a boyiend right now, who I would ll one of my bt iends, though at least he's aware that I thk I might not be pletely gay.

HOW DO I KNOW I’M NOT REALLY GAY/STRAIGHT?

I am gay but have never admted this to anyone.

My iends probably spect I am gay, but we have never discsed .

Your iends, who might already spect that you’re gay, will get to know you on a eper level and likely feel much closer to you. I like guys but I don’t want to be gay.

KEV MAXEN, JAGUARS ASSOCIATE STRENGTH ACH, OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR U.S.-BASED PRO LEAGU

How do I stop beg gay? You don’t need to be certa you are gay before talkg to someone or attendg an LGBTQ+ meetg.

I am a gay male. I have been out nearly 7 years now (age 16, sophomore year of HS). That week I told my iends and fay I was gay.

It is very homogeneo/ hetero-normative and beg a tholic stutn is not the easit environment for queer stunts.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS ASSISTANT COACH KEV MAXEN MAK HISTORY AFTER COMG OUT AS GAY

In orr to have doubts about one’s sexual inty, a sufferer need not ever have had a homo- or heterosexual experience, or any type of sexual experience at all. If the sufferer is heterosexual, then the thought may be that they are homosexual.

If on the other hand they happen to be homosexual they may obss about the possibily that they might really be straight.

” Some people’s doubts are further plited by havg such experienc as hearg other people talkg or lookg their directn and thkg that the people mt be analyzg their behavr or appearance and talkg about them – discsg how they mt be gay (or straight). For those wh thoughts of beg homosexual, part of the distrs mt surely be social orig. Let’s face , gay people have always been an opprsed mory wh our culture, and to sudnly thk of beg this posn, and to be stigmatized this way, n be ighteng.

SO PEOPLE THK I'M GAY...

I have sometim wonred if those who experience the most distrs om such thoughts as the do so bee they were raised wh more strongly homophobic or anti-gay attus to beg wh, or if is simply bee one’s sexualy n be such a basic doubt. Lookg at attractive men or women, or pictur of them, or readg sexually oriented lerature or pornography (hetero- or homosexual), to see if they are sexually excg. Observg themselv for evince of “lookg, ” talkg, walkg, drsg, or gturg like someone who is eher gay or straight.

Compulsively reviewg and analyzg past teractns wh other men or women to see if they have acted like a gay or straight person.

Readg articl on the ter about how an dividual n tell if they are gay or straight to see which group they might be most siar to. Do you thk I uld be gay (or straight)? How n I tell if I’m really gay (or straight)?

WHAT IF YOU ONLY THOUGHT YOU WERE GAY?

Can you sudnly turn to a homosexual (or heterosexual) even if you have never felt or acted that that way? Do I look (or act) gay (or straight) to you? If I get sexual sensatns when viewg sexual material of an oppose orientatn do mean I am gay (or straight)?

A typil example would be a heterosexual man who experienc an erectn while lookg at gay eroti. This reactn is strengthened by the rrect belief that homosexual cu never stimulate heterosexuals. Avoidg standg close to, touchg or bshg agast members of the same sex (or oppose sex if the sufferer is gay).

Not readg or lookg at vios news reports books or articl havg anythg to do wh gay people or other sexual subjects.

I’M MALE AND I AM AAID THAT I MIGHT BE GAY

Never sayg the words “gay, ” “homosexual, ” (or “straight”) or any other related term. Tryg to not look or act effemately (if a man), or a mascule way (if a woman), (or vice versa if the sufferer is gay).

Not drsg ways that would make one look effemate (if a man), or mascule (if a woman), (aga vice versa if the sufferer is gay). Avoidg associatg wh anyone who may be gay or who seems to lean that directn (if the sufferer is heterosexual).