Emet and Being Gay?

[HDogg]

Please don't take this post as being homophobic or racist (although it's not a race, but a sexual orientation, whatever...), but I've noticed a lot of people on this site have "come out."


Please excuse my ignorance, but I thought like only less than 10% of the world's population was gay? Am I wrong? Is it more common than I thought, or does being gay have any correllation with phobias, anxiety disorders, etc? Or does having anxiety come from being gay and afraid to "come out" for so many years?


For the gay emets, did you discover you were gay around the same time you realized you had emet? Did this happen in early childhood?


Again, I'm not trying to be mean here. Just curious what others thought about this.

[violet]

Hey HDogg,Well Im gay.. and I actually realised I was gay well before I knew I was an emet.


The population of gay/lesbian people is much higher than 10% now,but Im finding it that alot more people are coming out early as in some places it is becoming more socially acceptable.


I dont think that being gay has any correllation with phobia's ect I just think that theres a population of gay emets on here.


I realised my OCD Then being gay then came along emets not the best things,although only people know about my sexuality.


anything else lol? [img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img]


V

[suze]

I think Violet's right here, the proportion of gays is more than 10% and as there are 3800 members on this forum, then you would expect a fair few to be gay. It is certainly more socially acceptable now, especially in the UK.


I don't class myself as gay, I suppose I'm more bi - I'm capable of having good sexual and emotional relationships with both men and women, but it very much depends on the person for me, rather than their gender. I don't think this is related to my emet at all.


If there are a disproportionate number of gay people on this site, which I don't think this is the case, it might be that 'coming out' about sexuality is akin to coming out about a phobia. Both take a degree of courage as you can never be sure of how others will react or whether they will undersatnd. I guess if people have faced this with their sexuality then they feel they can face this with their phobia, and vice versa. I'm not sure I believe this theory...it's only a thought.

[hippychick]

Well I wouldn't say I knew I was gay from the age of 8, but thats when I first kissed a girl hehe the girl next door. I pretty much always known and really never stressed about trying to work out if I am or not. When I tell my mum I know she'll be cool as my cousin is gay and my mum sort of knows anyway. I don't think there is any correlation as I have been to Pride and a lot of other places and I'm the only lesbian emet out of the 100's of people I met this year.


I think being gay or at least more sexually open is more accepted these days, it's becoming easier for a woman to say "yeah ok I'd think about being with a woman" Edited by: hippychick

[65roses]

I'm not gay, but have quite a few friends thare are (I live near Minneapolis, where it is very socially acceptable to most and a lot have come out here as well), and I've never noticed any correlation. I'm the only one that I *know* in our group has this phobia, but then again, nobody else knows I have it either.

[HDogg]

Thanks for the input guys. But I know that emetophobia is pretty rare, so I was just wondering if there was a correllation between anxiety and phobias in general, not just emet. [img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img]

[suze]

Emet is actually the 5th (7th??)most common phobia but it's not easy to talk about, that's why people think it's rare. Also, I think there probably is a high correlation between anxiety and phobias, as severe phobias will certainly cause anxiety - as we all know!!

[jenny.preston]

Hi There,


I'm 21 and started dating my current partner 5 years ago. I was emet a LOOOOONGG time before that and it is an interesting question to ask. [img]smileys/smilies_04.gif[/img]


I didn't realize there were so many gay emets before....you're all just like me!! Or rather I may be just like you...

[samara's on tv]

I'm a lesbian and I think I first realized I was one when I was around 12 years old. I had my first Gay expereince when I was 14 with a good friend of mine (at the time) But if you ask her about that night now she'll deny it. I haven't really talked to her since the night it happened actually.


I had anxiety problems WAY before I knew I was gay, so I don't think being gay has anything to do with it. I came out to my parents when I was 15, they thought I just wanted attention but now that I'm 21 they realize that maybe I'm not playing around any more. They have two other daughters so the issue of getting grandkids from ME is not on their mind.


I have had Emet ever since I can remember. I never knew what it was called until recently but I have ALWAYS had it...well maybe not ALWAYS but I know since kindergarten it's been a problem for me. To me it doesn't seem like there are a lot of gay people on this board...it seems about even to me. *Shrug*


~Monica