Why do people think I'm gay when I'm not?

People infer things about others based on their appearance, mannerisms, speech patterns, interests, and other behavior. The best way to find out why someone mistakes your sexuality as gay is to ask a person who you trust for specific examples as there are many different things that could cause people to draw this conclusion.

Also, if you are a young person asking this and you are homosexual, you shouldn't try to change yourself to hide it. That's a waste of time because psychologists and scientists believe there is nothing wrong with being gay and that it is a trait that you people cannot choose any more than they can choose to be right or left-handed. While sexuality is often politicized and is a hot-button topic due to some people's religious and cultural indoctrination, psychologists have now understood sexuality to be a trait that occurs as a result of genetics and/or early childhood development. Homosexuals have no control over their genetics or how they were treated as babies, so they are not responsible for their sexuality.

Still, that is a lot simpler to say than it is to handle. Many young homosexuals hold prejudiced beliefs about homosexuals that they've learned from their communities, families, and religions. It is difficult for them to deal with overcoming their own cultural indoctrination as well as to deal with feeling like they are an outsider in their culture. As a result, many young gay people agonize over their sexuality and waste many years of their lives denying and hiding it.

If you are a young person dealing with this issue (gay or straight), please seek the advice of your school counselor or if your school does not have a counselor or does not have one you trust, look in the phone book to find a counselor. You may have to shop around to find a counselor that will see you for free or at a reduced rate, but many will do so to ensure a young person's safety dealing with this tough issue.