Joe Loves James Franciscus!

My first gay crush was actor James Franciscus.

I was 11, just starting puberty, and went with my brothers and friends to see "Beneath the Planet of the Apes." 

Like them, I liked action movies and sci-fi and - so I thought - the hot cavegirl, Nova.

But boy, I was in for a big surprise! 

The hero of the movie was an astronaut played by James Franciscus. I couldn't take my eyes off him!

He was the most handsome guy I'd ever seen. He had golden blond hair, piercing blue eyes, and a deep voice. He was commanding and athletic, projecting a very manly, cool presence.

In his spacesuit, he looked and acted like the perfect All-American man, which had shifted in that era from cowboys to astronauts. But I quietly prayed for him to lose that spacesuit like Charlton Heston did in the first "Apes" movie! And I got my wish. Within a few minutes, Franciscus was stripped down to a skimpy loincloth and spent the rest of the movie looking like a blond Tarzan.

And wow, what a wardrobe change that was. He had a great body, with well defined pecs and sixpack abs. He didn't have the only ripped body in Hollywood then, but it wasn't that common, either. And to see such a handsome man with such a great body was really rare.

That night (and off and on for years afterward), I was confused and conflicted, since I'd thought I was into curvy cavegirls. But I had obviously discovered I preferred hard-bodied spacemen. And I got over it fast by fantasizing about my astronaut in a loincloth!

Joe - Atlanta, GA
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George Loves David Cassidy!

I had my first gay crush in the early 70's when I was about 15-years old: It was David Cassidy.

I remember I had a large photo of him in an old fashioned swim suit.

He was in a backyard setting, running through a sprinkler. 

And his "male anatomy" was outlined in the wet suit, and was very visible.




I was in a private prep school on several athletic teams, and I used to peek at other guys in the shower room.

David was special to me, because it was the first time I was able to stare at a guy's "equipment" for a long time, without fear of being caught.

I was in the closet and had a strict mother that would have freaked out if she knew the true purpose of my fantasy photo. So my crush has been a complete secret until now. 

As has been the fact that I'm gay.

I'm over 50 now and still closeted. I guess the journey "out" is a personal one, and I'm now beginning to tell a few close friends. 

We'll see what happens.

In any case, even if I wasn't aware it was "gay", and I denied it to myself then, David Cassidy was my first.

George - New Hampshire
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Linda Loves Amy Jo Johnson!

My first gay crush was on actress Amy Jo Johnson.
She played Kimberley Hart, aka the Pink Power Ranger.

This was around 1994, when the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers" were peaking. I think I was more attracted to the pink Spandex costume, actually.


When she left the show in 1995 (a truly soul-crushing moment in my prepubescent life), I was elated to see her in the Disney Channel Original Movie "Susie Q."

As I also fell in love with Olivia Newton-John when I saw "Grease" years later, it makes me think I could have just been attracted to headbands in general, as Amy Jo wore them prevalently in the film.

I kept my crush on her a secret, even though my parents presumably knew about my crush when I asked for the Pink Ranger Barbie doll.

Linda - Columbus, GA
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Daniel Loves John Travolta!

My first gay crush was John Travolta.

As a young gay boy in the late 1970's, television was my refuge.

And that is where I first spotted him on "Welcome Back, Kotter."

When he came on the screen, I could not look away.



He had a bright smile like a 100-watt bulb, the bluest eyes I'd ever seen, and hair that defied gravity.

It was love from the very first moment I heard the words, "Up your nose, with a rubber hose!" He was definitely the breakout star of the show.

He was gorgeous and funny, and I was convinced I would marry him. I remember telling anybody in my family that would listen, 'I'm going to marry John Travolta!' And nobody flinched. My mom would even tell me when he was going to be on TV. It was all so ridiculously normal.

Today, when the gossip rags print rumors about him, I can’t help but feel sorry for him. I don't know what's true and what isn't. Only he really knows.
I just hope he's happy and healthy in his life.

I hope he is being true to himself, and I hope he is giving his kids the message that it's okay to love whomever you choose. His smile still makes my heart go pitter patter to this day.

Daniel - Chino Hills, California
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Jim Loves Steve Reeves!

My first gay crush was bodybuilder/actor Steve Reeves

I was 9 when I first saw him in "Hercules Unchained" in 1959.

He was extremely handsome, bearded, sexy, with a muscled physique.

Basically, the total Daddy Package, something I've been drawn to all my life.

The body, the face, the personality:
This hot man was basically a Demigod.



He was a man's man who looked like he could wear you out in the bedroom, but at the same time be devoted and protective of you. And I still love him 52 years later.

Jim - Canton, OH
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Inspired by the "Born This Way Blog" - BornThisWayBlog.com