I can imagine you have been thinking about it for quite some time: these strange feelings; these desires; the way your glance seems to go in the wrong direction; the lack of anything but feigned interest in the captain of the local football team. You probably imagine that there is either something wrong with you, or that the whole thing is a phase which, like acne or puberty, will pass you by quickly and without leaving any marks. You enjoy looking at women and your thoughts turn to a female partner quicker in those more intimate moments than to a male one.

First of all let us get one thing straight: there is nothing wrong with you. Everyone, whether they wish to admit it or not, has thoughts and feelings, even the most intimate ones, revolving around members of their own sex. No one else can see these emotions: there is no change in the way you walk or your appearance; it is not going to appear on a billboard beside the road where everyone can see; it is not a massive problem. At least, it is not going to be a problem if you have the self-confidence to accept yourself for what you are, a normal, developing person just like everyone else. How you deal with this development, this coming of age, depends entirely on you.

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