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Q&A How to write a gay character from a first person perspective (Twist: The person doesn't know that they're gay!)

As in many such cases, the answer is to do your research. Speak with people who are gay, and ask them the questions you need. "How did your understanding that you're gay form?" "Was there anything...

posted 8y ago by Standback‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Answer
#4: Attribution notice removed by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-12T20:06:04Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/26299
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T06:00:18Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/26299
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by (deleted user) · 2019-12-08T06:00:18Z (almost 5 years ago)
As in many such cases, the answer is to **do your research**.

Speak with people who are gay, and ask them the questions you need. "How did your understanding that you're gay form?" "Was there anything that you later understood, oh, that was actually because I'm gay, that you didn't realize at the time?"

Ask nicely, and listen, and take what they say to heart. This is personal, intimate stuff for them. Understand that they may reveal some of your assumptions as flawed -- for example, they might dismiss or dislike the idea of realizing homosexuality in response to meeting one specific person -- and that they may wind up not liking your book (because _any_ advisers and beta readers are not guaranteed to like your final product, and again, it's a sensitive topic, so tensions can be high).

Ultimately it's on you to figure out how to portray your character, his personality, and his process. If it's in an area you don't know really well, then **doing your research** is the way to go. Other people can't give you the final details and approach that you'll choose to go with; you need to understand it well enough to be able to choose those yourself.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2017-01-26T09:32:26Z (almost 8 years ago)
Original score: 6