Laurie Loves Cher!

My first gay crush was the fabulous Cher!

And I was definitely born this way.

That's why there’s no other way to explain that
even before I could understand the days of the week,
I understood that I loved Cher. 

In 1971, I was 4 years old when The Sonny & Cher Show premiered on CBS. Though I may not have been able to read a calendar, I did know enough to ask my mom, 'Mommy, is Cher going to be on TV tonight?' 

Sometimes she’d say yes, more often she said no. 
But when she said YES, I was ecstatic. 

So, was it Cher's long, flowing hair, that she’d toss off her shoulders as she sang? Was it the Bob Mackie outfits? Was it that she was never one to take lip from any man? 

Who knows? I just knew I adored her.

Now it's over 50 years later, and Cher is still with us, as she always will be, and I still love her with all my heart. 

Laurie
Brooklyn, New York

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Jay Loves Jonathan Brandis!

My first gay crush was actor Jonathan Brandis!

I was age 9, and loved him in "The Neverending Story 2" where I felt a stirring I couldn't explain.

But when I was age 12 and discovered him on "Seaquest,"
I knew exactly what I felt and what I wanted to do about it!

At the same time I fell in total lust with Jason Quartermaine played by Steve Burton and started cutting out his shirtless pics from my mom’s soap opera digest.

I "filled many tissues" over hot Steve. But it was nerdy, cool Jonathan I dreamed of holding me at night. He stole my heart, and I was heartbroken when he committed suicide.

Jay

Detroit, Michigan

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Click here - "Born This Way: Real Stories of Growing Up Gay" book
Click here - "Born This Way Blog"

Patrick Loves Randy Mantooth!

My first gay crush was on actor Randy Mantooth.

He played John Gage on the TV show "Emergency" in the 70s, and I was watching old recordings of that show when I was around age 7 in the mid 2000's.

And something about his friendly, likeable personality and shaggy, handsome looks all kind of intrigued me.

Oddly enough, having a crush on him, is what sparked my huge interest in many vintage TV shows and, but also my interest in TV equipment in general. 

I never really told anybody about my crush, but I'm willing to bet I would have felt some backlash over it!

Patrick

Carrollton, Texas 

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Click here - "Born This Way: Real Stories of Growing Up Gay" book
Click here - "Born This Way Blog"

Marlon Loves Nate Richert!

My first gay crush was actor Nate Richert.

He played Harvey Kinkle on “Sabrina The Teenage Witch.”
And I was 12 years old when I fell in love with adorable Nate. 

At the time, I had no idea what being gay meant.
All I knew was I was head over heels with this guy!

He embodied the perfect guy for me: sweet, caring, and his love for Sabrina made it all the better. And I remember sitting on the floor of my living room watching reruns for hours.

My family had this idea that I had a crush on Sabrina, but little did they know my heart belonged to Nate!

Marlon, 

Beverly Hills, California

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Click here - "Born This Way: Real Stories of Growing Up Gay" book
Click here - "Born This Way Blog""

Matt Loves Timothy Dalton!

My first gay crush was actor Timothy Dalton!

I was a James Bond fan ever since seeing "The Spy Who Loved Me" when I was 7 years old. 

Back then, you had to wait an excruciating (at least for kids) two years between Bond films. 

So in the meantime, my school buddy and I would trade the Ian Fleming 007 novels between us. 

We’d dog ear the pages with sex or nudity (James Bond was naked a lot in the books!). My 6th grade teacher once glanced at my copy of  "From Russia With Love" (the cover featuring a shirtless 007 and a Bond Girl wearing just a sheet) and she exclaimed, “Isn’t that a bit racy???”

Roger Moore was my first favorite Bond, and I was 17 when Timothy Dalton took over the role. And as a randy teen, I was smitten!

That cleft chin, those dimples! As both an actor and character, he tried to play down his hunky handsomeness, which only made him more lovable. 

In my opinion, Dalton embodied the 007 books perfectly -- vulnerable yet tough, intelligent yet fallable, masculine with a touch of melancholy. 

I met Roger Moore before he died, and I hope to meet Tim before I do!

Matt
Monte Nido, California

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Click here - "Born This Way: Real Stories of Growing Up Gay" book
Click here - "Born This Way Blog""
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