Temporary Disabled. :) please Go back Being Gay, Sexuality and Attraction www.fgks.org » Address: [go: up one dir, main page] Include Form Remove Scripts Accept Cookies Show Images Show Referer Rotate13 Base64 Strip Meta Strip Title Session Cookies International HIV & AIDS charity DonateFundraising About Us Our Partners Help & Advice Contact Us Facebook Linked in Twitter Newsletter Copyright © AVERT skip to menu Being Gay, Sexuality and Attraction back to top Being attracted to people Not everyone is only attracted to people of the opposite sex. There are a lot of different words and labels for people who are attracted to other people of the same gender as them, or who aren’t attracted to anyone at all. Some people use these labels to describe themselves. back to top Working things out AVERT’s pages ‘Am I Gay?’ and ‘Am I a lesbian?’ are about people’s real experiences of working out their sexuality. This can be a really complicated, long, scary but also great process! back to top Coming out You need to install Adobe Flash player to view AVERT's videos. Click on the logo below to install Flash player. Think Before You Speak: Don't say "that's so gay!" Telling someone else that you are attracted to people of the same sex as you is sometimes referred to as ‘coming out’. It can be hard to do and it can be difficult to know when to do it. Coming out to your parents can be intimidating. It's natural to want your parents to know what's going on with you Being comfortable with your sexuality isn't always easy, and going public with the information can be really difficult. When you've accepted your sexuality, it's natural to want the rest of the world to be happy for you. But you can decide for yourself when and who you want to tell. But it's not always that easy. If other people are out at your school, that can make it a bit easier. Or do gay people get tormented by their classmates? In lots of places, the words 'gay' or 'queer' are often used to describe something negative. This is an example of prejudice, and it's natural to want to fit in. Coming out in the wrong place or at the wrong time can have a negative result, but most gay people say that coming out on their own terms at the right time was a good thing to do. Then there's parents and family. Coming out to your parents can be intimidating. It's natural to want your parents to know what's going on with you, but it helps if you know that at least one family-member will be understanding. Remember - you get to choose the time and who you tell. back to top What are gay relationships like? “There was the idea that relationships just don't happen - gay men want sex, not relationships... But then you find out there are people who have been going out with people for years. It seems exactly the same as everywhere else.” - Adam There are sometimes perceptions that gay relationships are just about sex, but there's much more to it that that. Gay relationships can be just as loving, just as difficult, just as fulfilling and last just as long as any other relationship. Our page on ‘relationships and feelings’ applies just as much to people who have same-sex relationships as anyone else. We’ve also got information on having sex, for people of every orientation. back to top What about being bisexual? Bisexual people are attracted to both genders - men and women. Some people say that everyone is a little bit bisexual. If you're bisexual, you might have relationships with men and be attracted to women. Or the other way round. It's not true that bisexual people fancy everyone - they fall for people as individuals, just like gay or straight people do. “He's the best looking guy in my year, and he's also dating the best looking girl in my year. She too is gorgeous. It's like I fancy them both. It's really weird. . . sometimes when she is talking to me its like 'I wonder what she would do if she knew I fancied her and her boyfriend?” - Steve back to top Being unsure Many people continue to question who they are attracted to, and whether this makes them gay or straight or bi or something else. Some people may decide that they don’t need a label for their sexuality at all! Remember that whatever you decide, it doesn’t have to define who you are. Make a list of all the things about you that you can possibly think of. Who you are attracted to will probably be one of many, many things that make you, you! back to top I need some support… Many young people who have alternative sexual identities face stigma and discrimination. Remember that there will be others out there who have experienced similar issues. As Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu said on the subject: “Please take care of yourself, educate yourself about HIV, protect your partners, honour and cherish them. And never let anyone make you feel inferior for being who you are.”1 For help and advice about the issues discussed on this page, see here. email print tweet more Where Next? AVERT.org has more about: Teens AIDS and young gay men Young gay men talking: Am I gay? Defining 'gay', 'lesbian' or 'homosexual' Back to top Sign up to our Newsletter Donate References back to top Beyrer C. et al (2012, July) ‘A call to action for comprehensive HIV services for men who have sex with men’. The Lancet, ‘HIV in men who have sex with men’ english español back to content home pageHIV & AIDS Topics EpidemicGlobal EpidemicAIDS & HIV Around the WorldAIDS : What is AIDS? 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See how much you know about HIV/AIDS and sexual health, with our AIDS Game, Sex Education Game, Pregnancy Game and Condom Game. Use your mouse to collect the right letters while avoiding the baddies for a chance to appear on our HI-scores table. Give our games a try now, and see how well you can do! AIDS Game Pregnancy Game Sex Education Game Condom Game Photos & Videos Our media gallery contains hundreds of HIV and AIDS related photos, videos and graphics. You can have a look around, use the search feature, or take a look at some photo selections. Photo Selections Photos & Videos Gallery Media Types Photos Graphics Videos Search the Media Gallery Latest media: Quizzes Try our quizzes to test your knowledge on all aspects of sexual health and HIV and AIDS. We have a Sex Quiz, Pregnancy Quiz, Condom Quiz and an HIV and AIDS Quiz. Just a beginner? Then try the quizzes' easy levels. Think you're an expert? Well try the hard quizzes. 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More than 2,400 young people are newly infected with HIV every day, accounting for 40% of new adult infections. Involving youth in the HIV response is key to lowering new HIV infections among the next generation and the role of technology in doing this is now clearer than ever. A sneak preview of results from an AVERT survey, due to be released on International Youth Day 2013 - 12 August, show that most young people prefer to get their sexual health and HIV/AIDS information online or via mobile, as it's quicker, confidential and cheap. But not all youth are the same, we've found regional variations in the type of technology young people prefer - with 67% of respondents from Africa using mobile phones for health information, compared to just 31% in Europe. To commemorate International Youth Day 2013 - 12 August, share your experiences with others by sending AVERT your story. Raise HIV awareness among youth, check out the hints, tips and quizzes below and share them with your friends. 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Not everyone is only attracted to people of the opposite sex. There are a lot of different words and labels for people who are attracted to other people of the same gender as them, or who aren’t attracted to anyone at all. Some people use these labels to describe themselves.
AVERT’s pages ‘Am I Gay?’ and ‘Am I a lesbian?’ are about people’s real experiences of working out their sexuality. This can be a really complicated, long, scary but also great process!
You need to install Adobe Flash player to view AVERT's videos. Click on the logo below to install Flash player.
Think Before You Speak: Don't say "that's so gay!"
Telling someone else that you are attracted to people of the same sex as you is sometimes referred to as ‘coming out’. It can be hard to do and it can be difficult to know when to do it.
Coming out to your parents can be intimidating. It's natural to want your parents to know what's going on with you
Being comfortable with your sexuality isn't always easy, and going public with the information can be really difficult. When you've accepted your sexuality, it's natural to want the rest of the world to be happy for you. But you can decide for yourself when and who you want to tell.
But it's not always that easy. If other people are out at your school, that can make it a bit easier. Or do gay people get tormented by their classmates? In lots of places, the words 'gay' or 'queer' are often used to describe something negative. This is an example of prejudice, and it's natural to want to fit in. Coming out in the wrong place or at the wrong time can have a negative result, but most gay people say that coming out on their own terms at the right time was a good thing to do.
Then there's parents and family. Coming out to your parents can be intimidating. It's natural to want your parents to know what's going on with you, but it helps if you know that at least one family-member will be understanding.
Remember - you get to choose the time and who you tell.
“There was the idea that relationships just don't happen - gay men want sex, not relationships... But then you find out there are people who have been going out with people for years. It seems exactly the same as everywhere else.” - Adam
There are sometimes perceptions that gay relationships are just about sex, but there's much more to it that that. Gay relationships can be just as loving, just as difficult, just as fulfilling and last just as long as any other relationship. Our page on ‘relationships and feelings’ applies just as much to people who have same-sex relationships as anyone else. We’ve also got information on having sex, for people of every orientation.
Bisexual people are attracted to both genders - men and women. Some people say that everyone is a little bit bisexual. If you're bisexual, you might have relationships with men and be attracted to women. Or the other way round. It's not true that bisexual people fancy everyone - they fall for people as individuals, just like gay or straight people do.
“He's the best looking guy in my year, and he's also dating the best looking girl in my year. She too is gorgeous. It's like I fancy them both. It's really weird. . . sometimes when she is talking to me its like 'I wonder what she would do if she knew I fancied her and her boyfriend?” - Steve
Many people continue to question who they are attracted to, and whether this makes them gay or straight or bi or something else. Some people may decide that they don’t need a label for their sexuality at all! Remember that whatever you decide, it doesn’t have to define who you are. Make a list of all the things about you that you can possibly think of. Who you are attracted to will probably be one of many, many things that make you, you!
Many young people who have alternative sexual identities face stigma and discrimination. Remember that there will be others out there who have experienced similar issues. As Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu said on the subject:
“Please take care of yourself, educate yourself about HIV, protect your partners, honour and cherish them. And never let anyone make you feel inferior for being who you are.”1
For help and advice about the issues discussed on this page, see here.
english español
Play our games to test your knowledge and skills, while learning new facts. See how much you know about HIV/AIDS and sexual health, with our AIDS Game, Sex Education Game, Pregnancy Game and Condom Game. Use your mouse to collect the right letters while avoiding the baddies for a chance to appear on our HI-scores table.
Give our games a try now, and see how well you can do!
Our media gallery contains hundreds of HIV and AIDS related photos, videos and graphics. You can have a look around, use the search feature, or take a look at some photo selections.
Try our quizzes to test your knowledge on all aspects of sexual health and HIV and AIDS. We have a Sex Quiz, Pregnancy Quiz, Condom Quiz and an HIV and AIDS Quiz.
Just a beginner? Then try the quizzes' easy levels. Think you're an expert? Well try the hard quizzes.
I went through kind of a phase shift from just getting feelings towards this one guy, to be being confused and feeling kind of bi... - Submitted by Wesley Read more >>
Giving young people a platform to share their thoughts and experiences raises awareness among their peers and gives an invaluable insight into the needs of this high-risk group. More than 2,400 young people are newly infected with HIV every day, accounting for 40% of new adult infections.
Involving youth in the HIV response is key to lowering new HIV infections among the next generation and the role of technology in doing this is now clearer than ever.
A sneak preview of results from an AVERT survey, due to be released on International Youth Day 2013 - 12 August, show that most young people prefer to get their sexual health and HIV/AIDS information online or via mobile, as it's quicker, confidential and cheap. But not all youth are the same, we've found regional variations in the type of technology young people prefer - with 67% of respondents from Africa using mobile phones for health information, compared to just 31% in Europe.
To commemorate International Youth Day 2013 - 12 August, share your experiences with others by sending AVERT your story. Raise HIV awareness among youth, check out the hints, tips and quizzes below and share them with your friends.