Have you ever fancied other men?
Does you heart skip a beat staring at robust young guys?
Have you ever got aroused looking at erotic pictures of hot males?
Then, you might be gay…
So what??? There’s nothing to worry about. Obviously, the term ‘gay’ refers to those people who feel sexually attracted towards the persons of the same sex. The word can be used both as noun as well as adjective. Though often applied specifically for the men who have same-sex orientation, ‘gay’ may indicate all people from the LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender) community, which has remained marginalized for quite long in our society. Having the original meanings ‘happy’, ‘carefree’ and ‘bright and showy’, the word got sexual overtones during the later parts of the 17th century. In contemporary usage, the word ‘gay’ that signifies the eagerness of closing the eyes to traditional sexual ways of life has actually a deep-rooted association with its original meaning of being ‘happy-go-lucky and candid’. There are references of gay relationships in some literatures of the 1920s. Gradually, the term got acceptance as an antonym for the word ‘straight’, which refers to heterosexual man and women or people having sexual inclination towards the persons of the opposite sex. From the 1960s, homosexual men started to call themselves as gay. There is a preconceived notion among a major section of people that gay guys are effeminate and polygamous. But, it’s not necessary that all gay men behave in that way. These traits vary from person to person. Though some of them might act in that manner, others do not. Despite the fact that there was a time when homosexuality was considered as ‘mental illness’, by 1973, DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) made it clear that it is not an illness at all. The American Psychological Association (APA) too has struck out homosexuality from its list of mental disorders long before.
There’s nothing wrong in being gay. Some people are born this way. Like being straight, it is just another natural way of expressing one’s sexuality. Being gay and having gay affairs is as natural as getting into a relationship with a person from the opposite sex. Sexual desires come from within a person. They cannot be forced. There are some biological differences between gay and straight people. When people are born, they already have their sexuality determined. There are evidences that our sexual orientation is largely influenced by the hypothalamus part of our brains. But the actual reasons behind a person’s being gay is still an area of debate and researchers are coming up with some new explanations each day or the other.
During our teenage days, most of us must have felt gay tendencies at some points of our lives. But, it is not necessary that all of our teenaged fantasies will linger forever. Once a person in his late teens or early twenties feel strong attraction towards another man, then it’s for sure that he is gay. Some people, who harbor gay feelings at young age, may not feel the same with growing age. On the other hand, there are instances that a person has become aware of his true sexual callings after spending years of married life. In other words, in some people, gay sexual desires are strong from the very onset of puberty whereas the others can take longer period to realize their exact nature. It’s up to the person how he has come in terms with his sexuality or whether he has accepted himself as a gay individual. Once he becomes comfortable with himself, then convincing others won’t require much efforts. If the gay person is blessed with supportive parents and family, then it’s even more fun for him.
With the prejudice against gay people are decreasing, they are getting a chance to enjoy their lives to the fullest. As our society becoming more liberal towards such persons and more sensitive towards gay issues, there’s no need to be ashamed of being gay anymore. A closeted sexual life is not at all desirable. It’s great to ‘come out’ than to enter into a lifelong repression. So, isn’t it better to get into a sexual relationship with a person of your choice from the same sex than to go for a sham marriage? The fact lies here that there’s no way of stopping a person from being gay. If he has such genetic configurations that are making him turned on by other men, then there’s nothing he can do to become a straight guy. Various websites have come up where gay men log in for getting not only the right kind of same-sex partners, but also discuss about their innermost sexual cravings, secret encounters with men and other ‘gay’ related topics. There are gay support groups and telephonic helplines in most of the countries. The organizational representatives are always there to provide you ample information on the topic and guide you in your life, which may be different from that of the majority of the people, but still has its own rainbows, its own joys and tears. Meanwhile, we all can hope for a better tomorrow for all gay people from all corners of the world…
http://www.add-articles.com/Article/What-It-Means-To-Be-Gay/123458
