Sean Loves Sean Marshall!

Sean Marshall my my first gay crush.
Well, sort of. Keep reading...

I was a very awkward child, both physically and socially.

I had this idea that everyone in the world was my best friend, and so I behaved accordingly. Well, imagine my disappointment. Also imagine that I had no defense against liking people who thought I was a total oddball.

Then I saw Disney's "Pete's Dragon," and I wanted to be best friends with Pete. I had no idea who Sean Marshall was, which was fine because he wasn't part of my crush. Pete was.

Here was a kid who was an outsider in his adopted family and in the town he landed in. It felt like that was me on the screen, except Pete had a pet dragon to be his defender. Luckily, it just so happened I liked dragons! And overalls!

I imagined we would talk about mythical animals we could strike down our enemies with. And wanting to look the opposite of how I had to dress in Catholic school. No polyester shirts! Yay!

I've never told anyone this, probably because it reveals too much about my psychology. But just wait till I post it on Facebook...

Sean - Erie, PA
_______________________________________________


Inspired by the "Born This Way Blog" - BornThisWayBlog.com

Victor Loves Robert Conrad!

My first gay crush was
actor Robert Conrad.

I've known I liked boys since I was 4. But by the time puberty hit at age 11? I knew I liked men!

I had boy crushes, but my biggest thrill was Friday nights, watching the hot man who wore THE tightest pants in TV history:

Mr. Robert Conrad on
"The Wild Wild West."

He played a daredevil Secret Service agent named James T. West on the campy show. His character was a "real man" who did a lot of acrobatic stunts, often took his shirt off, and got tied up a lot.

Whoah! I didn't know anything about camp, let alone bondage and discipline. But I know I sure liked to see him tied up and shirtless.

My taste in men has changed over the years, but you never forget your first - with tight pants, sexy furry chest, and a glint in his blue eyes,

I realized way back in '65 you really can't separate the men from the boys -- except for maybe with a crowbar.


Victor - New York, NY
__________________________________________

Click here: "Born This Way: Real Stories of Growing Up Gay" book
Inspired by the "Born This Way Blog" - BornThisWayBlog.com

Philip Loves Richard Thomas!

My first gay crush was Richard Thomas
on TV's "The Waltons."

The earnestness. The naivete. The overalls (occasionally with no shirt). And that mole.

I loved John Boy more than air and rice pudding put together. I had all things Waltons, even the lunch box. Which I carried until the lid rusted shut.

Then, lovingly stashed in the bottom of the closet - with the rest of me.
My fundamentalist family thought I had such fine family values, bonding with such a saccharine TV drama. But it was never about the morality tales, the life lessons, or the tender good nights.

No, this was all about wanting to shag John Boy.

In the barn, his attic bedroom, or in the rumble seat of the old Ford.

I dreamed he would write me terribly poignant love messages in pencil, on his goldenrod tablet.

Or type them on the old Remington.

I loved him, but also wanted to be him. I loved to write, and the 1930's felt like my era from another incarnation. He was respected by his parents, but they never really understood his tenderness.
Like John Boy, I lusted for fancy book learning. 
But of course, my true lust was really for him!

I fantasized about us going down to the old swimming hole, dropping our mended dungarees, and diving in. 

We would get drunk on moonshine whiskey, then commit carnal acts heretofore unknown on Walton's mountain.

Goodnight, John Boy. I love you.

Philip - Lima, OH
_____________________________________________

Inspired by the "Born This Way Blog" - BornThisWayBlog.com

Gary Loves Robert Reed!

My first gay crush was Robert Reed as
Mike Brady, the dad on "The Brady Bunch."

I remember him like it was yesterday, but it was way back in the 70's. I was around 8, and I don't know why, but I was obsessed with him. And I kept this crush very secret.

Although, one time on a family road trip, I was sleeping in the back of the car, and I woke up -
saying his name aloud.

That freaked me out!

My parents and brothers never said anything to about it. I still don't know if they heard me or not.

Gary - San Diego, CA
_________________________________________


Inspired by the "Born This Way Blog" - BornThisWayBlog.com

Paul Loves Paul Michael Glaser!

My first gay crush was Paul Michael Glaser,
aka Starsky on TV's "Starsky & Hutch."

I was around 9-years old, and I was so in love with Starsky. 

He was special to me, because I didn't even know what gay meant.

I hadn't even heard that word at that point, so it was really just me going on pure instinct.

I remember my family and I were watching an episode where Starsky took off all his clothes, so Hutch had something to take into the laundermat to wash. When I saw Starsky in all his shirtless, towel-wrapped glory, just showing off that hairy chest? Dayum!

I knew there was something special about this man. Then, I said, out loud to my family:

"Who do you guys think is cuter? 
Starsky or Hutch?"

My 14-year old brother turned and said, "Why are you asking that? Guys don’t ask stupid questions like that!" I felt so stupid after that, I never said anything like that again. And I learned to keep those thoughts to myself.

Regardless, I think Paul Michael Glaser is how my fetish for hairy chested, darker-toned, butch men must have started.

Paul - San Jose, CA
_________________________________________


Inspired by the "Born This Way Blog" - BornThisWayBlog.com

Jerome Loves Lee Majors!

Lee Majors was my first gay crush!

While Sebastian Cabot as Mr. French, and Patrick Duffy as "The Man From Atlantis" sparked some interest, the sustaining crush fire happened when I first saw Lee Majors in his bionic, superhuman state. With all that running in slow-mo, his open shirt and chest hair revealed, accompanied by cool sound effects.

I was a bit suppressed by a religious upbringing, and didn't know I was gay until I was 34. But looking back, I know he lit that fire. I bought his lunchbox, and started calling myself Steve "Ostin" on my assignments in 2nd grade. 

I was 7-years old.

Maybe it was innocent, as I was so young. But watching Lee Majors in that role for several years, influenced the kind of man that I would come to admire and love:

Heroic, selfless, strong. And, hairy.

Then, while I was still impressionable, he became "The Fall Guy," the life of a Hollywood stuntman.

And he just got hunkier. 

That hairy chest, devil-may-care attitude, and all rough 'n tumble with a cigar.



The show wasn't that well-written, but I suddenly didn't care about the plot.

I may not have known that I was gay, but I knew that I wanted him to be my best friend. And he's become the model for probably all the other men I've ever been interested in.

Jerome - Whitehorse, Yukon Territory
____________________________________________________________________________________

Inspired by the "Born This Way Blog" - BornThisWayBlog.com

Sean Loves Larry Wilcox!

My first gay crush was Larry Wilcox,
as Officer Jon Baker on "CHiPs."

It was the late 70's, and I was around 7-years old when
I first became mesmerized by his feathered blonde hair and snug-fitting uniform pants.

While most people were in love with his partner Ponch (Erik Estrada), I just couldn't get enough of Jon.

In middle school, "CHiPs" was cancelled. But luckily, every afternoon they ran double
re-runs I could not miss!


Watching them while doing my homework, and drooling over Jon, was my daily routine. And I absolutely hated the seasons after Larry Wilcox left the show.

So by the time I was 12, that obsession pretty
much erased any doubt that I was gay.

Sean - Connecticut
___________________________________________________________________________

Click here: "Born This Way: Real Stories of Growing Up Gay" book
Inspired by the "Born This Way Blog" - BornThisWayBlog.com

Jamie Loves Parker Stevenson!

My first gay crush?

Parker Stevenson!

Shaun Cassidy was the favored Hardy Boy, but Parker was my man.

He was blonde, beautiful, tall, and more masculine than 'Mr. Da Doo Ron Ron.'

And he looked way better in tight jeans than Pamela Sue Martin ever did...

By the time he got to "Baywatch" - and became Kirstie Alley's "Big One" - he was prime beef.

He joins Lee Majors, John Schneider, and Jameson Parker in my all-time, gay crush hall of fame.



Jamie - Whitehall, OH
_________________________________________


Inspired by the "Born This Way Blog" - BornThisWayBlog.com

Michael Loves Shaun Cassidy!

When I was 7, I discovered my first gay crush:
His name was Shaun Cassidy.

He was a "Tiger Beat" heart throb, who was also a pretty good singer. I listened to all his albums, and dreamily gazed into his eyes on the covers.

And, I wondered what it would be like to kiss him on the lips.

In 1977 in suburban Chicago, I didn't have words to express my feelings.

I didn't know what being gay meant or that there was even a word for it.

But, I did know that Shaun was something special.
He was the only reason I watched "The Hardy Boys" on TV. Well, Pamela Sue Martin as Nancy Drew was also pretty fierce.

This video clip is really pretty hot. Shaun's kinda beefy, and when he's sweaty and showing his armpit? OMG! It's almost porn.


I never met Shaun, and my crush is well over.
Although, his songs do still rotate in my iPod.

Michael - San Francisco, CA
______________________________________________


Inspired by the "Born This Way Blog" - BornThisWayBlog.com

Mark Loves Brian Oldfield!

I was 11-years old, and my first gay crush
was Olympic shotputter Brian Oldfield.

I hated sports growing up. So when my brother and sister got to go to the Oympic trials in Eugene, OR in 1975, I certainly wasn't jealous.

But then I saw the pictures they brought home. And there was a snap of a massive man, with a mop of blond hair, in tight Levis, walking into the crowd.

I don't know where the pic is now, but I remember Brian Oldfield's quads in those jeans, and his smile into the camera. And I quickly snatched that photo for my private "Pee-Chee" school notebook.

The family seemed concerned about me during those Olympics. Because I, who had never taken any interest in sports whatsoever, was suddenly fascinated by a certain shotputter. Of course, I told everyone how much I just loved Brian Oldfield.

The Catholic strategy of keeping sex at bay with silence completely failed. And no one remembered to tell me that crushing out on 70's, golden-haired brawny Gods was "wrong."


By the time my new obsession appeared in Sports Illustrated in a certain red white and blue singlet, the deed had been done. I was as sure of who I loved as certainly as my brothers were sure of their love of Farrah Fawcett!

Mark - Los Angeles, CA
__________________________________________________________________________________

Inspired by the "Born This Way Blog" - BornThisWayBlog.com

Kathy Loves Lindsay Wagner!

It was 1976, I was 11, and my first gay crush
was Lindsay Wagner, as TV's "The Bionic Woman"

I watched "The Six Million Dollar Man," and loved that a female bionic character was introduced. 

And then she got her own show!

I was in my 20's when I FINALLY figured it out that I was gay.

And realized why I was so transfixed by Lindsay Wagner so long ago. I had a mad crush on that hot woman!

Jaime Sommers was athletic, independent, and smart.
She had speedy legs and a tennis-ball-crushing arm.
But she also had confidence and a wonderful gentleness, all wrapped up in that unpretentious, naturally beautiful face and body.


She was undeniably sexy, but didn't need to act frilly or bat her eyelashes. She was a bit of a tomboy like me, and I wanted to be like her. I even wished she could be my 6th grade school teacher.

I didn't understand my feelings back then, but even in my naive pre-pubescence, I knew my fascination with her went beyond that of my friends who also watched the show. Now I understand.

I've had more gay crushes over the years: Kate Jackson in "Charlie's Angels," Kristy McNichol in "Family," Kelly McGillis in "Top Gun," and the ubiquitous gay girl crush on Nancy McKeon in "The Facts of Life."
But it's true: we never forget our first crush.

Thinking of Lindsay still makes me smile today.
We should get together to discuss our Sleep Numbers... ;)

Kathy - Portland, OR
___________________________________________________________________________________

Inspired by the "Born This Way Blog" - BornThisWayBlog.com

Karen Loves Elizabeth Montgomery!

My first gay crush was Elizabeth Montgomery.

I was age 6, and I thought she was so beautiful. But I was completely baffled by Samantha's willingness to marry dorky Darren, and to try to please him all the time.

My first feminist thought was: Why would a woman with that kind of power give it up for a man?

I also adored Samantha's mother, Endora, mostly because she constantly made fun of Darren. I can clearly remember thinking Samantha should keep her sweetness, but be powerful and exotic like Endora.


I didn't know what gay meant then, I just knew I loved Samantha. And if I married her, I'd let her be herself and use her magic. 

I knew I could make her happy!

Yes, a witch pretending to be mortal just to please someone was a perfect metaphor for a lesbian growing up in the early 70's. I didn't figure that out until many years later.

By then, I understood how society worked, and would disguise my crushes by saying I wanted to be like a female character. Or that I "admired" a certain female actress. I disguised them even from myself.

But at age 6, I didn't have to lie to myself. It seemed perfectly normal wanting to marry Samantha.

Karen - Minnesota
____________________________________________________________________________________

Inspired by the "Born This Way Blog" - www.BornThisWayBlog.com