PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT SEXUAL ORIENTATION

• As people pass from childhood into their teen

years and beyond, their bodies develop and
change. So do their emotions and feelings.
• Adolescence Is a Time of Change
• During the teen years, the hormonal and physical changes of
puberty usually mean people start noticing an increase in sexual
feelings. It’s common to wonder and sometimes worry about new
sexual feelings.
• It takes time for many people to understand who they are and who
they’re becoming. Part of that involves better understanding of
their own sexual feelings and who they are attracted to.
• What Is Sexual Orientation?
• Sexual orientation is the emotional, romantic,
or sexual attraction that a person feels toward
another person. There are several types of
sexual orientation; for example:
• Heterosexual: People who are heterosexual
are romantically and physically attracted to
members of the opposite sex. Heterosexual
males are attracted to females, and
heterosexual females are attracted to males.
Heterosexuals are sometimes called “straight.”
• Homosexual: People who are homosexual are
romantically and physically attracted to people
of the same sex. Females who are attracted to
other females are lesbian; males who are
attracted to other males are often known as
gay. (The term gay is sometimes used to
describe homosexual individuals of either
sex.)
 Bisexual: People who are bisexual are
romantically and physically attracted to
members of both sexes.
• Asexual: People who are asexual may not be
interested in sex, but they still feel emotionally
close to other people.
• During the teen years, people often find
themselves having sexual thoughts and
attractions. For some, these feelings and
thoughts can be intense and seem confusing.
That can be especially true for people who
have romantic or sexual thoughts about
someone who is the same sex they are. “What
does that mean,” they might think. “Am I
gay?”
• Being interested in someone of the same sex
does not necessarily mean that a person is gay-
just as being interested in someone of the
opposite sex doesn’t mean a person is straight.
It’s common for teens to be attracted to or
have sexual thoughts about people of the same
sex and the opposite sex. It’s one way of
sorting through emerging sexual feelings.
• Some people might go beyond just thinking
about it and experiment with sexual
experiences with people of their own sex or of
the opposite sex. These experiences, by
themselves, do not necessarily mean that a
person is gay or straight.
• What Is LGBT?
• You may see the letters “LGBT” or (“LGBTQ”)
used to describe sexual orientation. This
abbreviation stands for “lesbian, gay, bisexual,
and transgender, queer”. (or “lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender, and questioning ”).
• Transgender isn’t really a sexual orientation-it’s a
gender identity. Gender is another word for male or
female. Transgender people may have the body of
one gender, but feel that they are the opposite
gender, like they were born into the wrong type of
body.
• People who are transgender are often grouped in
with lesbian and gay as a way to include people
who don’t feel they fit into the category of being
“straight.”
• Do People Choose Their Sexual Orientation?
• Why are some people straight and some people
gay? There is no simple answer to that. Most
medical experts, including those at the American
Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American
Psychological Association (APA), believe that
sexual orientation involves a complex mix of
biology, psychology, and environmental
factors. Scientists also believe a person’s genes
and hormones play an important role.
• Most medical experts believe that, in general,
sexual orientation is not something that a
person voluntarily chooses. Instead, sexual
orientation is just a natural part of who a
person is. There’s nothing wrong about being
LGBT. Still, not everyone believes that. These
kinds of beliefs can make things difficult for
LGBT teens.
• What’s It Like for LGBT Teens?
• For many LGBT people, it can feel like everyone is expected to
be straight. Because of this, some gay and lesbian teens may feel
different from their friends when the heterosexual people around
them start talking about romantic feelings, dating, and sex.
• A 2012 survey by the Human Rights Campaign found that 92%
of LGBT teens had heard negative things about being lesbian,
gay, bisexual, or transgender. LGBT teens might feel like they
have to pretend to feel things that they don’t in order to fit in
with their group, family, or community. They might feel they
need to deny who they are or that they have to hide an important
part of themselves.
• Fears of prejudice, rejection, or bullying can lead
people who aren't straight to keep their sexual
orientation secret, even from friends and family who
might support them.
• Some gay or lesbian teens tell a few close friends
and family members about their sexual orientation.
This is often called “coming out.” Many LGBT teens
who come out are fully accepted by friends, families,
and their communities. They feel comfortable about
being attracted to someone of the same gender.
• But not everyone has the same good support systems.
Even though there is growing acceptance for LGBT
people, many teens don’t have adults they can talk to
about sexual orientation. Some live in communities or
families where being gay is not accepted or respected.
• People who feel they need to hide who they are or who
fear discrimination or violence can be at greater risk for
emotional problems like anxiety and depression. Some
LGBT teens without support systems can be at higher risk
for dropping out of school, living on the streets, using
alcohol and drugs, and trying to harm themselves.
• Everyone has times when they worry about
things like school, college, sports, or friends
and fitting in. In addition to these common
worries, LGBT teens have an extra layer of
things to think about, like whether they have to
hide who they are.
• This doesn’t happen to all gay teens, of course.
Many gay and lesbian teens and their families
have no more difficulties than anyone else.
• The Importance of Talking
• For people of all sexual orientations, learning about sex
and relationships can be difficult. It can help to talk to
someone about the confusing feelings that go with
growing up-whether that someone is a parent or other
family member, a close friend or sibling, or a school
counselor.
• It's not always easy to find somebody to talk to. But
many people find that confiding in someone they trust
(even if they're not completely sure how that person will
react) turns out to be a positive experience.
• In many communities, youth groups can provide
opportunities for LGBT teens to talk to others
who are facing similar issues. Psychologists,
psychiatrists, family doctors, and trained
counselors can help them cope-confidentially
and privately-with the difficult feelings that go
with their developing sexuality. They also help
people find ways to deal with any peer pressure,
harassment, and bullying they might face.
• Whether gay, straight, bisexual, or just not
sure, almost everyone has questions about
physically maturing and about sexual health -
like if certain body changes are “normal”
what's the right way to behave, or how to
avoid sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
It's important to find a doctor, nurse,
counselor, or other knowledgeable adult to be
able to discuss these issues with.
• Beliefs Are Changing
• In the United States, and throughout much of
the world, attitudes about sexual orientation
have been changing. Although not everyone is
comfortable with the idea of sexual orientation
differences and there’s still plenty of prejudice
around, being gay is getting to be less of a “big
deal” than it used to be.