Homosexuality refers to a sexual attraction to a person of the same sex. Thus, a person will be able to speak of homosexual attraction if he feels attracted to other people of the same sex. If she is attracted to the opposite sex, on the other hand, we will speak of heterosexuality.

Homosexual attraction is still misunderstood by a large part of the population who find it difficult to identify with gay and lesbian couples. The protests against “marriage for all” in 2013 have highlighted these differences, although today tensions have eased. In France, homosexuality is no longer considered a mental illness since June 12, 1981; in some countries, however, it is judged harshly, sometimes like a crime.

In this context, those who feel a homosexual attraction may have some reservations about expressing it. Fear of the eyes of others, fear of being judged or misunderstood, they sometimes live in lies, secrecy, fear, even denial.

Many heterosexuals will, at one time or another, feel an attraction to a person of the same sex. This attraction does not necessarily translate a homosexuality or a bisexuality, indeed, one can be charmed by a charismatic person or recognize the beauty of a person of the same sex without feeling a physical and sexual attraction for this one. It is therefore rare not to know whether one prefers men or women because the carnal desire is expressed simply. Unless they refuse their fantasies and live by suppressing their emotions, everyone is able to tell if they are more sexually attracted to one gender or another.

There are a multitude of sexualities, and bisexuality is one of them. People who feel an attraction to both the fairer sex and the male sex are thus considered bisexual. They can fall in love and have sex with people of both sexes without showing any particular preference.

Homosexual attraction is often felt during adolescence. This period of transition from childhood to adulthood gives rise to a number of questions. During puberty, the body changes, hormones play an increasingly important role and desires take hold. This is when most gay people confirm or deny their sexual attraction. Nevertheless, it seems that girls are more open to different sexualities * than men. So, a homosexual man is usually only attracted to men and a heterosexual man is only attracted to women (except in rare cases of bisexuality). As for women, they are more open to adventures “outside basic orientation”, that is to say that a lesbian can sometimes be attracted to a man and a heterosexual to a woman.

In the same way, we see that women often develop a homosexual attraction depending on their environment and their encounters, while men feel it from a young age, more instinctively.

Talking about your homosexual attraction once it is recognized and accepted is not always easy. If many associations exist and help young homosexuals to live their sexuality serenely, they do not always help to ease the tensions that may exist within the family. It is therefore important to feel sufficiently ready before announcing your homosexuality to those close to you. Even the most open-minded parents can indeed react in a surprising way to the announcement of their child’s homosexuality. Either way, it’s still important to share your love life with those close to you, especially when a relationship gets serious. Being supported by those around you allows you to live your love story in a more fulfilling way.

Young people and adolescents are not the only ones to discover their homosexual attraction. Some adults realize, sometimes after decades of marriage, that they have an attraction to people of the same sex.

Accepting the homosexual attraction of his child, his husband or his wife is not easy. Often, a feeling of failure and many questions invade the one who receives the announcement as a betrayal. However, homosexual attraction has nothing premeditated or “nasty”, it simply corresponds to an observation, to an assumed desire that had to be expressed. Homosexuality is neither a mental illness, nor the result of a failure, it is a natural attraction which concerns approximately 5 to 10% of the population.

Homosexual attraction has existed since the dawn of time but remains often misunderstood. It must be accepted to be experienced serenely by those who are concerned and also by their loved ones.