Seven-year old announces he's gay

Chuck Stone · 20-02-2012 11:26pm

I see people with the gay agenda are coming out in force in this thread.

Daroxtar · 20-02-2012 11:30pm

What the fúck were they doing watching Glee?

johnr1 · 20-02-2012 11:31pm

Why wouldn't he know he's gay? it's common in everyday media that he's been exposed to since birth. If he watches forward thinking media, there would be no negative vibes coming at him.

I'm straight. I've known I liked girls since I was about three. Seriously.
I gave my pocket money to my mum to buy a birthday present for a girl I liked when I was about 4. (this was before birthday parties were the norm) Then I was too shy to give it to her, and had to get my mom to give it to her mom for her

When I was five I wanted to marry my schoolfriend's mom cos she had boobs,- among other reasons.

If I remember correctly, it wasn't cool to announce that to your mates in school till we were at least ten or eleven. Girls were icky, they cried and scratched and stuff, what would you be doing liking one of them? But I did.

I think it's great that he lives in an envoirnment where he doesen't see a problem.

The parents making hay of it is disgusting though.

.

Babybuff · 20-02-2012 11:36pm

I fell irrevocably and unconditionally in love with a girl when I was 14 and all I wanted to do was kiss her but I knew that would be gay and just wasn't right so I didn't. Wish I did now though, wish I figured it out sooner.

efb · 20-02-2012 11:36pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xj6dkz_ee8Q

RedFFWolf · 20-02-2012 11:46pm

mikemac1 wrote: »

Could it be argued he sees it around him with his parents friends and then is open to it.

Is it environment or something you are born with?

I don't know, just asking

It makes me think of an intersting thought experiment. If a new born baby was raised in a controlled environment of all males till he reached his adolescent years, would he feel sexually attracted to men by pure environment (and yes, he would know about such thoughts), or would genetic hard-wiring be more influential if he suddenly saw females for the first time afterwards? (Also makes you think of all the people who get turned on by the gender they are not attracted to, as they were tricked into thinking a person was otherwise because that person was dressed up as and had the appearance of their attraction).

Of course, there are so many factors to consider in; my apologies, it was a bit of a thought tangent...

Well, I knew I had a "special liking", later just termed as "sexuality" towards the male side of life since the age of 6. Twenty years old now and still the same! Never repressed it, but pretended to my friends otherwise - but I never felt I had to repress it, because it felt so normal to me, and I never felt I shouldn't be the way I am, I just didn't want my friends to think strangely of me.

PK2008 · 20-02-2012 11:54pm

When I was 7 I told my parents I was a fire engine

...........a big gay one

Caraville · 20-02-2012 11:56pm

I'm delighted that his mother accepted him no matter what, but even if he is definitely gay, I'd still be wary of the fact that he's only 7 so I'd rather he wasn't having those kind of feelings towards either sex at that age.

There was a boy in my class in primary school and looking back now it was so flipping obvious he was gay. But sure we didn't know any different at the time, and I've no doubt that he felt that perhaps he was different, but he just went about his business like the rest of us- and he also wasn't going around at 7 saying he fancied boys, just like us girls. He has come out since, but that was as a teen or adult. Noticing that boys and girls are different to each other as a child is one thing, but having sexual feelings towards them at 7 is just a bit sad to me. Where's the innocence??

Coriolanus · 20-02-2012 11:57pm

I don't see the problem. Some boys announce they like girls at that age, so if heteros can have an early awakening at least to some aspects of their sexuality I don't see why a gay kid can't too.

Caraville · 21-02-2012 12:02am

Daroxtar wrote: »

What the fúck were they doing watching Glee?

Actually yeah, I never thought of that... I know you probably meant it in a kind of "who the hell would watch that crap" but actually come to think of it, it's not really suitable for a seven year old... there's a fair few sexual references and a few other bits I'm not sure would be deemed suitable for under 10s. I doubt, for example, it would get a "U" classification if it was a film. Or maybe I'm just a bit conservative- I don't think I am generally though...

Odysseus · 21-02-2012 12:45am

Thanks to the local priests, one of them in my area was infamous, I had a basic idea of what being gay was by that age. Most kids have some conscious sense of sexuality by that age.

It's a difficult topic I would really need to think a lot more on it [this particular example], but the childs sexual position could easy be fixed by that age, it not written in stone either; but a significant ampount of gay people I have work with had some thoughts about it by that age. A lot of "straight" people have had gay questions about their sexual position by that age too.

Liam Byrne · 21-02-2012 1:49am

A seven year old shouldn't even know that gay and straight exist as concepts.

PhlegmyMoses · 21-02-2012 2:00am

The original article is ridiculous. The woman clearly wants everyone to know how progressive she is.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 21-02-2012 2:04am

Liam Byrne wrote: »

A seven year old shouldn't even know that gay and straight exist as concepts.

Take that one up with nature, because they do have a sense of sexuality at that age.

mikemac1 · 21-02-2012 2:05am

At that age girls are icky and they worship the county GAA team or Premiership footballers or both

Liam Byrne · 21-02-2012 2:06am

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Liam Byrne wrote: »

A seven year old shouldn't even know that gay and straight exist as concepts.

Take that one up with nature, because they do have a sense of sexuality at that age.

Don't think it's nature - more declining culture with excessive sexualisation.

I certainly had no inkling or interest aged 7

Odysseus · 21-02-2012 2:06am

Liam Byrne wrote: »

A seven year old shouldn't even know that gay and straight exist as concepts.

Out of interest why not? Infants are sexual beings never mind seven year olds.

I knew a penis entered a vagina around that age. I had a strange conscious concept of the gay sexual act. I had this image of two erect penises [point to point if you will] and could work out how that worked. I had not conscious concept of there being another entry point. God the working of a child's mind:o

Odysseus · 21-02-2012 2:10am

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Don't think it's nature - more declining culture with excessive sexualisation.

I certainly had no inkling or interest aged 7

A couple of hours having a look at that in therapy may change your opinion. Did you know what "diddy's" :P were at 7?

I wanted a chance to use that word again!!! However, if you where you knew about sexual difference.

Lia_lia · 21-02-2012 2:13am

Meh, not surprising.

From a very young age (probably about 6 or 7) I always saw both genders as the same. My parents have loads of gay/bisexual friends so I just kinda assumed everyone was into men and women. Ha! I don't know if that was because of the environment I grew up in or if it was a natural..thing. Never went around announcing to my parents "I am bisexual!" though. Probably because I though it was normal

Lia_lia · 21-02-2012 2:14am

Liam Byrne wrote: »

A seven year old shouldn't even know that gay and straight exist as concepts.

Why not?

UglyBolloxFace · 21-02-2012 2:23am

Deleted User wrote: »

My daughter has always been what would be considered a "tomboy". When she played games, she chose boys names etc. When she was 3, my husband was asking her would he do for a wedding we were going to. He was in jeans! She said he would, but that he would have to wear a suit for her wedding. He told her that she better marry a nice man then to which she replied "I might marry a woman". My husband just said, yeh, you might, and she turned and walked out of the room.

If my daughter (who is now 7 and sitting here shooting a nerf gun at my walls) actually said the words "I'm a lesbian", yes, I'd be taken aback, but only by the words, not by what it actually means.

Your daughter's a lesbian. And good on her:)

saa · 21-02-2012 2:25am

Maybe us straight folk just don't remember realising we were straight as it didn't stir up any feelings of conflict with the world we were learning about at the time, because you do hear a lot of gay folk talking about when they realised they were gay at a very young age nothing to do with sex at that stage.

I wouldn't be shocked I was that age when I was adamant I was straight, I liked boys, I didn't know what sex was, I saw gay people before on tv I had a sense of what it was but I don't believe a child would be influenced. I believe you know as a child what your sexuality is (if it is not fluid it may be) and you just don't have the means to express it.

Bannasidhe · 21-02-2012 2:27am

krudler wrote: »

does a 7 year old even know what being gay is?

I did. I had a huge crush on the girl up the road. I just didn't have a 'word' for it. 40 years later, I still haven't grown out of my same-sex crush phase.
My sister knew she liked boys aged 7, my brother knew he liked girls - why the hell should it be any different for gay kids?
I knew before my son was 7 that he was straight, just like I knew my niece wasn't.

The King of Moo · 21-02-2012 2:28am

Liam Byrne wrote: »

A seven year old shouldn't even know that gay and straight exist as concepts.

I think these days they would though.

When I was seven I probably wouldn't have known what being gay was. I might have heard the word used, but knew only that a gay person was vaguely different somehow.

I think kids are more aware of such things now, and for the better. I think you can still know about homo and heterosexuality without knowing all of the sexual mechanics involved in either, seeing them more in terms of romantic attraction.

Fortunately we seem to be moving towards a society where homosexuality is normalised and people can realise earlier that they might be gay or bisexual, and not go through too many difficulties in coming to terms with that.

Odysseus · 21-02-2012 2:34am

The King of Moo wrote: »

I think these days they would though.

When I was seven I probably wouldn't have known what being gay was. I might have heard the word used, but knew only that a gay person was vaguely different somehow.

I think kids are more aware of such things now, and for the better. I think you can still know about homo and heterosexuality without knowing all of the sexual mechanics involved in either, seeing them more in terms of romantic attraction.

Infantile sexuality has been around 100s if not thousand of years. This is not a product of the media and fashion ect, it goes much deeper than that.

ejmaztec · 21-02-2012 2:37am

If in years to come he decides that he never was gay, he's going to be really happy that his mother told the entire world that he was.

The King of Moo · 21-02-2012 2:38am

Odysseus wrote: »

Infantile sexuality has been around 100s if not thousand of years. This is not a product of the media and fashion ect, it goes much deeper than that.

Absolutely, I was just talking about the labels gay and straight.

But you're right, infants do seem to have an innate sense of sexuality that they're usually socialised out of. It's hard to imagine a society in which very young children aren't dissuaded from exploring it.

Odysseus · 21-02-2012 2:43am

ejmaztec wrote: »

If in years to come he decides that he never was gay, he's going to be really happy that his mother told the entire world that he was.

Yeah, his first time to bring a girl home and instead of bringing out the photo album, she takes out a usb key with that blog entry on it. Cooing "we all thought it was so sweet/cute"

Bannasidhe · 21-02-2012 2:46am

Odysseus wrote: »

Yeah, his first time to bring a girl home and instead of bringing out the photo album, she takes out a usb key with that blog entry on it. Cooing "we all thought it was so sweet/cute"

Just like the first time I brought my girlfriend home (aged 21) and my mother got out my communion photos - which was the last time I had worn a dress - and started talking about how she always always wished I would enter the Rose of Tralee :eek:.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 21-02-2012 2:47am

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Don't think it's nature - more declining culture with excessive sexualisation.

I certainly had no inkling or interest aged 7

It's nature, trust me. They know the difference between a boy and a girl and a mummy and a daddy.

ejmaztec wrote: »

If in years to come he decides that he never was gay, he's going to be really happy that his mother told the entire world that he was.

I think he'll probably get a laugh out of it. If his parents don't make a big deal about it, he won't make a big deal about it. It'll just go down as one of those funny childhood stories that your parents always wheel out at Christmas parties.

ch750536 · 21-02-2012 3:11am

Slap some straight into him.

TeddyTedson · 21-02-2012 5:01am

ch750536 wrote: »

Slap some straight into him.

Ironically that sounds a little...fruity!!

validusername1 · 21-02-2012 5:25am

Why's it even news that this guy comes out as gay?

If a seven year old revealed himself as straight, nobody would write a news article. I don't understand how it's in any way interesting that someone comes out, regardless of their age. Everyone is people. Sexuality and age makes no difference.

Pdfile · 21-02-2012 8:20am

The King of Moo wrote: »

I think that's what happened here.

The kid likes Blaine.
Blaine says he's gay.
The kid says he's gay to be more like Blaine, possibly not knowing what being gay means.

Though I wouldn't let my seven-year old watch Glee.
Not because of the gay characters or characters having sex, but because it's ****e.

or maybe thee kid wants a willy in the bum ?? :pac:

grizzly · 21-02-2012 8:38am

If more kids could say they're gay, at any age – we wouldn't have to have this thread.

ch750536 · 21-02-2012 9:09am

TeddyTedson wrote: »

Ironically that sounds a little...fruity!!

zackly

penelopeanne · 21-02-2012 9:13am

Kids as young as seven should be protected from tv programmes with ANY sexual content. It is just too young. That is what having parents is for. Up to the age of 18 our parents are supposed to protect us from anything that might hurt us. I see a child of seven as far too young to know what sex is all about. I'm straight, I'm gay... at SEVEN. God Knows, we're children for a short enough time. I had no idea of sexual preference or anything like that until I was at least 13 and then fancied the latest popstar, who happened to be male, and then my hormones took over, and I knew I fancied boys. I'm sure if I announced to my mother when I was 7, Mum I'm straight, she would have given me a clout. You just don't announce these things. That child sounds like a right little ****e, spoiled brat, who is sooo precocious. These yanky kids drive me madddd..

Seachmall · 21-02-2012 9:51am

What really irks me about this story is the clear double standard.

They happily accept it when he says he's gay but seem to dismiss his claims of dating Blaine.

You must either accept his sexuality and his, albeit unconventional, relationship with the 17 year old fictional TV character or take both with a grain of salt as a kid mimicking what he sees on TV.

sunflower27 · 21-02-2012 9:57am

is this not all because the kid likes David Blaine - because he is a magician and kids like magicians. And he wants to be like his hero, so he says he is gay too?

It doesn't mean the 7-year-old fancies the guy in that way.

toexpress · 21-02-2012 10:25am

Am as gay as the day is long myself so some of this may shock you.

My reaction would be horror. That's not to say I don't want to be gay, in the words of the song I am what I am and I had a great 10 years with my partner until he died. But it can be a lonely life, it's not what I would want for any child of mine I have to say.

Also, he is 7, he is not sexually developed or aware of what all of this means. He has another few years to go on that one and it could all change.

What this does raise is the fact that there is an overtly sexual charge in the various different TV shows that are available for children. I don't watch Glee (I confess I would be more of a Prime Time fan) so I cant comment on that but there does seem to be something wrong with TV shows that would try and display such content in an effort to sway a child in one way or the other. Sexuality is not a free choice, I am not suggesting that but it is a path of discovery that this child should make as he becomes a teenager and a young man.

In closing, what the hell ever happened to Bosco?

MajorMax · 21-02-2012 10:51am

When I was 13 I asked my mother what she would do if I was Gay, she replied that she would introduce me to a prostitute. This has given rise to two questions
1. How did my mother know any prostitutes?

2. Why, for the love of God, didn't I tell her I was gay. WHY?

token101 · 21-02-2012 11:09am

Jesus that blog post is American ****ing nonsense. No one batted an eye lid either when I had 'half naked' wrestlers and footballers all over my wall either. FFS do we let, or have we ever even considered letting, seven year olds vote? No. So we obviously don't put an awful lot of faith in what they say. They're kids, they're impressionable. He doesn't have a crush on the guy in Glee, he's seen him and wants to be like him. I look up to Stephen Fry, but I've never felt attracted to him. Seven year olds are too young to be making any kind of decision about this. If he decides to date men when he's older, off with him.

token101 · 21-02-2012 11:10am

MajorMax wrote: »

When I was 13 I asked my mother what she would do if I was Gay, she replied that she would introduce me to a prostitute. This has given rise to two questions
1. How did my mother know any prostitutes?

2. Why, for the love of God, didn't I tell her I was gay. WHY?

Your mam was clearly a ledgebag. I wish I had thought of that at 14

21-02-2012 11:16am

I had my first crush at 8, I don't see what's impossible about 7

maybe he is going through a phase and maybe he isn't. Time will tell
Not sure about announcing it to the world

Micky Dolenz · 21-02-2012 11:33am

Pdfile wrote: »

or maybe thee kid wants a willy in the bum ?? :pac:

Mod

That's disturbing on so many levels pdfile.

gcgirl · 21-02-2012 11:47am

Bannasidhe wrote: »

krudler wrote: »

does a 7 year old even know what being gay is?

I did. I had a huge crush on the girl up the road. I just didn't have a 'word' for it. 40 years later, I still haven't grown out of my same-sex crush phase.
My sister knew she liked boys aged 7, my brother knew he liked girls - why the hell should it be any different for gay kids?
I knew before my son was 7 that he was straight, just like I knew my niece wasn't.

Plus a million
Sam Fox was one of my first crushes I was 7/8, I really loved boobies

Nothingbetter2d · 21-02-2012 12:15pm

The King of Moo wrote: »

Amelia, a blogger for The Huffington Post has recently written about her seven-year old son telling her that he's gay. If the below is TL;DR, that's the important point.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/Amelia/when-your-7-year-old-son-announces-im-gay_b_1277910.html

How do you think you'd react?

I think I might be initially surprised, but I think at such a young age when kids have little sexual awareness, it's not so strange to have same-sex crushes (though I don't recall having any) and they can't really know if they're gay or straight.

If he was getting close to his teenage years and he was still insisting he's gay as much as this kid is insisting, I'd try to make sure he really felt it, and wasn't letting his insistence get in the way of discovering his sexuality for himself. I'd be the same if my son was hitting puberty and kept going on about how straight he was. I'd be suspicious by the level of insistence.

Reading about the parents' reaction in this case though, I am struck by how differently my parents would've reacted if I had told them I was gay when I was seven, and how times have changed (for the better overall, though I can't help but have a slight dislike for a father telling his son he's awesome. But that's mostly my issue with the word "awesome."). They wouldn't have got angry (and if I had turned out to have been gay, they would've been fine with that, though I'm sure it would've taken some time for them to adjust to it) but they would have tried to stop me saying it very quickly. And immediately given me a football and a toy gun, if only because they knew how much hassle a gay person would get!

How do you think you'd react in this situation?

Even if you have no ounce of prejudice in your body, would you still be a bit shocked?

Would you have some kind of talk with your son?

so is he "the only gay in the creche" ?

The King of Moo · 21-02-2012 1:13pm

penelopeanne wrote: »

Kids as young as seven should be protected from tv programmes with ANY sexual content. It is just too young. That is what having parents is for. Up to the age of 18 our parents are supposed to protect us from anything that might hurt us. I see a child of seven as far too young to know what sex is all about. I'm straight, I'm gay... at SEVEN. God Knows, we're children for a short enough time. I had no idea of sexual preference or anything like that until I was at least 13 and then fancied the latest popstar, who happened to be male, and then my hormones took over, and I knew I fancied boys. I'm sure if I announced to my mother when I was 7, Mum I'm straight, she would have given me a clout. You just don't announce these things. That child sounds like a right little ****e, spoiled brat, who is sooo precocious. These yanky kids drive me madddd..

toexpress wrote: »

Am as gay as the day is long myself so some of this may shock you.

My reaction would be horror. That's not to say I don't want to be gay, in the words of the song I am what I am and I had a great 10 years with my partner until he died. But it can be a lonely life, it's not what I would want for any child of mine I have to say.

Also, he is 7, he is not sexually developed or aware of what all of this means. He has another few years to go on that one and it could all change.

What this does raise is the fact that there is an overtly sexual charge in the various different TV shows that are available for children. I don't watch Glee (I confess I would be more of a Prime Time fan) so I cant comment on that but there does seem to be something wrong with TV shows that would try and display such content in an effort to sway a child in one way or the other. Sexuality is not a free choice, I am not suggesting that but it is a path of discovery that this child should make as he becomes a teenager and a young man.

In closing, what the hell ever happened to Bosco?

I agree that seven is too young to be watching Glee, because it's too sexual and just generally better suited to adults. However, the hints of sex in Glee are almost predominantly heterosexual. As an American major network programme, it's very chaste when it comes to gay sexuality.

So if the kid has got his idea about being gay solely from watching Glee, it's not a sexual sense of homosexuality, more a purely romantic or homosocial sense.

He might well have an inkling of his own homosexuality, as some gay people do from a young age, but I don't think there's much sexual about wanting to be Blaine's boyfriend (sorry actor who plays Blaine!) as there's nothing sexual about him or his relationship with Kurt (I debated pretending not to know what his name is).
It might just be a case of him liking Blaine and wanting to be like him, regardless of whether the kid's gay or straight.

I do think he sounds very spoiled though, but I think that about most kids I encounter these days!

CdeC · 21-02-2012 1:45pm

I found out what the word gay meant when I was 7/8 and my word it scared the **** out of me. I knew I liked boys but didn't know it had a name. Queue years of denial and it really messed me up as I thought I was going to be thrown out of home if anyone found out.
This really warms my heart to hear this, I think kids should be told no matter what you are you will be loved and accepted all the same.
Fair play to the parents.

flanders1979 · 21-02-2012 1:55pm

Chuck Stone wrote: »

I think I would have got slapped.

I would have been put up for adoption

Seven-year old announces he's gay

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