Is it Actually Possible For Someone Who Is Like 5 or 6 Years Old to Know Their Sexual Orientation?
Yes, it’s possible.
Kids as young as 5 or 6 can know who they’re attracted to. But for most youth, being attracted to someone isn’t something that happens until a bit later in childhood, like 10 or 11.
By the time we hit early adolescence, most of us know what gender(s) we’re attracted to. But there are two things worth mentioning. The first is that who we’re attracted to can change over time, so just because you’re attracted to one gender when you’re young doesn’t mean that won’t change over time.
The second thing is that if someone realizes that they’re not straight, they might not be willing to express it at a young age (or at any age depending on a lot of things, like where they live, and how they were raised). Because as far as we’ve come in this country in terms of acceptance, it’s still not always a safe world for people to come out as anything other than straight.
What’s always been interesting to me is how young we as a society start to tell kids about sexual orientation, even though we don’t use those words. The fairytales and fables that we show kids through books, cartoons and movies often include a girl and a boy, who end up living happily ever after. That’s a strong message about orientation, whether we recognize it or not.
This is why books like “And Tango Makes Three” and “Keesha and Her Two Moms Go Swimming” are so important. They help kids learn from an early age that not all families look the same, and that’s sometimes it’s a girl and a girl who ride off into the sunset.
Until next time, be safe and have fun!
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