Is it normal for teenagers to question their sexuality

Point out and praise things you see them saying and doing that are about being true to themselves. Be clear that your love is unconditional: that you will always love, support and accept them, and that they can talk to you about anything.

Give them time and space to understand themselves, and to become more comfortable about sharing something so personal with you. You love them for who they are. This can make it even more difficult to come out to you later. You could ask them if they, or their friends, have started to wonder about different parts of their identity. Let them know that this is normal behaviour for teenagers.

Lead by example Your teen may look to you for clues as to how you feel about their sexuality. Transgender individuals have been a part of human society from as early as ancient indigenous societies through today. It is only that we are beginning to understand their psychological, emotional, and physical experience, and as a result, becoming more accepting.

There are sub-categories that more accurately describe individuals of the transgender community, such as the following:. All of this is important to uncover as a teen. Discovering whether you are gay or bisexual or heterosexual is necessary.

These are necessary questions for teens to ask and answer for themselves. Doing so will help them move through adolescence with confidence and self-esteem. Apparently, a relationship between a 15 year old girl and a 17 year old boy is more permissible and consenting than one between a 15 year old boy and a 17 year old boy.

Caution, though: some females do go through a lesbian-ish phase early on. Girl crushes can be a desire to be like the person more than a sexual desire. Also, lesbians until graduation LUGs are common in colleges, especially all women schools. As far as I can tell, that was the correct assumption. People question straight teens sexuality and feelings of love and desire frequently.

Our culture does not make it easy for heterosexuals to explore their sexuality without stigma and shame either. But Of course it took me a life time to embrace that desire. Now approaching 40, I still find it hard to look back at those years and the unneccessary silent suffering that the dominant hetro society inflicted upon me and countless others.

When I read the Times article about young teenagers coming out in this country I was delighted, yet I mourn the loss of my own happiness as a child. But hey, it could have been worse, right? Heterosexuality is the default human sexuality. Every type of behavior is not OK, and that includes human sexuality. The best advice I can offer is to help kids to get in touch with their feelings albeit sometimes conflicted and confused and to understand the true nature of love, passion, and lust.

For some, it is going to take experimentation. Only by sorting those things out do we fully realize our true selves and I suggest this is best done at an early age. The year 10 girl may simply be using cool and fashionable as a cover to explore her own sexuality. I encounter men of all ages who have not done this experimentation as youngsters and they are still wondering as adults. I think it is probably best not to judge motives and to give kids space to explore.

To the extent that they do, I think they will have a much better chance of finding the right answers for themselves. The real key is for you to be supportive regardless of their orientation — if you have a son and he has a boyfriend, have them over for dinner. Take them to the state fair, etc. I volunteered on a glbt hotline for years. A larger percentage of the calls were from married men in their early twenties with two children under 4 years old. When I was in 10th grade, I somehow attracted the interest of a 7th grader.

I had no idea why he found me interesting, and I did nothing to encourage his admiration. Years later, my alumni newsletter mentioned that he had a civil union in Vermont. Perhaps the reason why parents are not concerned about childhood crushes on the opposite sex is that they understand how the process works, even during the awkward years where girls are obsessed with boys and boys think girls have cooties.

Oh really? As if. DIsagree that who you think about when you masturbate is a good indication of sexual orientation. Much too simplistic. Many hetero women may be turned on by images of sexy or aroused women but prefer to have sex with men.

Espelege encouraged adults to:. Encourage healthy exploration. This can be best done in an inclusive environment. Promote tolerance. Teens are watching adults closely to determine if they will be supportive. The following section contains tabular data from the graphic in the post. How Many Teens Identify as Questioning? Navigating Challenges that Come with Questioning Your Identity The experience of questioning sexuality is different for everyone, but can be influenced by the environment in which they live, family and friends they interact with, and the overall community they are a part of, Espelage said.

Resources on Gender-Expansive Children and Youth, Human Rights Campaign: a list of resources dedicated to gender expansive youth who may identify as transgender or another identity not confined to one gender experience. Give them space to figure it out at their own pace.

Be clear and affirming with support and encouragement that is unconditional. Schools can serve as a neutral buffer, especially if questioning teens come from non-affirming families.