People determine their sexual orientation through their feelings of attraction and emotional closeness to others. At one point or another, almost everyone questions their orientation, even people who ultimately identify as heterosexual. For many people, this happens during the teen years since this is when people are defining themselves in a variety of areas of life.

Many people who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual report that they knew from a young age. Other people report a strong sense of being heterosexual, only to discover later in life that they identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual. Still others feel confused or don’t choose to define themselves with one of these labels.

Your orientation is yours to define, no one else’s. Take your time. Don’t push yourself to commit to an identity or label. Feel what you feel. You’ll know when it’s time to attach a name to your feelings.