"I never had any real attraction towards women, but I really knew that I was gay when puberty began. I felt an attraction toward the other boys and I was curious to find out what they were like." P.J. Smith (Personal communication, November 23, 1999).
             Men who call themselves gay are sexually attracted to and fall in love with other men. Their sexual feelings toward men are normal and natural for them. These feelings emerge when they are boys and the feelings continue into adulthood. Although some gay men may also be attracted to women, they usually say that their feelings for men are stronger and more important to them. We know that about one out of ten people in the world is gay or lesbian. This means that in any large group of people, there are usually several gay people present. However, you cannot tell if someone is gay or not unless he or she wants you to know. Gay people blend right in with other people. But they often feel different from other people. Gay teenagers may not be able to specify just why they feel different. All of the guys they know seem to be attracted to girls, so they don't know where they fit in. And, they may not feel comfortable talking with an adult about their feelings.
             "I'd always felt different from other kids for as long as I can remember. I started having random sexual feelings for both genders around the age of eleven. I'd read some sex-education books and figured that my feelings were part of a phase and would pass. I didn't realize that it was my feelings for girls that were part of a phase and had passed until I was fifteen." P.J. Smith (Personal communication, November 23, 1999).
             Youth may not know what to call sexual feelings. They don't have to rush and decide how to label themselves. Sexual identities develop over time. Most adolescent boys are intensely sexual during the years around puberty (usually between 11 and 15 years old), when their bodies start changing and their h...