When Is Sexual Orientation Determined?

[ForrestBri]

I can always remember when I was about 11 or 12 being attracted to both genders my age and it has stayed with me up until now; I am 16 years old, nearly 17. Before that, as far as I can remember anyway way, I was attracted to females of all ages (apart from over 60, of course) and that too has stayed with me. So, when do you think sexual orientation is determined? From birth or early childhood? I understand that sexual orientation is immutable past approximately age 13, so when do you think it is established?

[Dimitri]

Whenever you feel it is.

[Kujiro]

This is highly debatable some would argue that a person can be "bended".
But I for one feel that true sexuality is not a matter of choice.

I would too agree that many people deny their sexuality,
According to the story of plato where man was separated into 2,
Each longing to seek their other half, there was no definition if the other half was of which gender, but as only a male/female is able to conceive, it became the de facto norm.

This streamlined down to the stereotypical preceptions we have today.
Even religion teaches us to love everyone, it's conceptually not wrong to say everyone is bi.

Back to the point, it depends when you feel sure, and ready to admit to yourself on your sexuaility. Coming out or not is an issue of another time.

If you are truly sure of who you are, any age is not too late. It's just a phase, where some take longer, while some realize it earlier.
Most importantly one has to be true to themselves.

Good luck
*smile*

[collapsing_rain]

i am also very unsteady about this issue but one opinion i have is that both genetics and grow up environment have influences on orientation but environment factor is the much bigger influence

[Nicky97]

Who cares about my "opinion" of a scientific fact?

Like me objecting to it is going to change it somehow?

[StoppingTime]

I think it is determined when you find you are happy and accepting of your sexuality. Although, I think you were only attracted to females before 11 is because you didn't really know what being gay or bi really meant. And with all of the stereotypes today, it is even harder to find what you are really happy being, and how you want to be judged by other people.

[ally_____]

its sorta hard to estimate a certin age, i personaly have been attracted to both since about 5th or 6th grade, but i soon after went into denile untill recently, its a little different for everyone, some people dont relize it for a long time because they unconciously go into dinile untill they're mentaly and emotionaly ready to admit it to theyselfs, it happened to me :/ but if i had to guess vagly when most people realize it is from 5th to 9th grade

[judahtics]

i think you'll just know. i wouldn't settle on or make any final desicions during puberty, but that's just me. hormones make crazy things happen and i wouldn't trust all the things my body is feeling.

[JayJaySpiritus]

i dont think sexuality is a choice. its like fate. a part of you. poeple can say its controlled by how you grow up and all that but in the end. its just how you feel. how can someone in a against gays family be gay or bi? poeple can bend your mind of how you see it. but in the end its a part of you.

[Syvelocin]

My opinion is sort of in the middle. I think there are so many more factors that determine it than your genetics. I honestly don't believe you are born gay. It's an attraction. I treat gender as just another physical trait. I have a thing for redheads, bright blue/green eyes, and the female gender.

I also think that if different things happened to me in my life, then I might have ended up with a different sexuality. There is so much that can affect your identification. there are people who aren't gay until way later in their life. They might have been still gay before, but never realized it. And some people truly do turn/bend. I'd say it's more genuine if the change is from sexual to asexual, but I'm sure it happens. So if there was a time when your sexuality is determined, it's very, very difficult to pinpoint.

I believe that there is never a point where your sexuality is "determined." It's a gradual, never-ending development.

[User Deleted]

Simple answer: it is what it is, when it is. If it is determined, lucky you, you are a rare special case.

[Shadowin]

It's not really determined for me it was just a feeling i cant describe it its not determined i guess its felt.

[kuuliluuk]

It is difficult to answer. I know that there is no scientific proof "at what age".
Of my own experience I can tell that I didn't think much about sexual things until age 8 or so. Then I became aware of sexual feelings that I can remember. Also bodies of girls and boys seemed to be interesting to me. About age 11 that interest in sexual organs and bodies attached to them became more defined. I liked boys more. But I didn't label myself yet. I thought I was in a "phase". My puberty started at 13 and 1/2 and a year later I fell in love with a boy. That shaked me so much I realised I am not in any kind of "phase".
It seem to be gradual awakening or so. And it seems everything is ealready defined, before you wake up sexually.