Being a gay man

Scientific research has shown that sexual orientation is not something that can be changed. Several U. states and countries have actually banned conversion therapy. There are many people you can safely talk to about your feelings and questions.

Mikey played football semi-pro then went on to be a referee - and he says being a part of the football world meant, in the past, he would downplay who he really was. And BBC Three has commissioned a poll on some of the key topics of modern gay male life, from relationships to discrimination. The online poll spoke to adults in the UK who identify as gay men in May Around eight in 10 of our respondents hid their sexual orientation to fit in when they were teenagers.

I saw myself as less than, weak, disgusting, defective, and simply not good enough. After many years of working through my own shame around being gay and processing my own internalized homophobia, I began to see the light within me. A lot of this work came down to me accepting myself for exactly who I am, and an aspect of that was being a gay man. I now see being gay as a beautiful gift I have been given.

Posted March 1, We expend considerable energy hiding our genuine selves from everyone around us—including those who care about us and, too often and most insidiously, from ourselves. We project an image we believe will let us fit in with those whose approval we seek. So many gay men learn we are different from other boys by having the fact pointed out and ridiculed by bullies during our young, most impressionable, years.