So, when did you know you were a heterosexual/homosexual?

[intaglio]

38. Knew for certain?

When I was having a drink with a friend and his friend, went back to his place for a talk (and maybe some more drinks) and they came on to me pretty hard. It was the 70s and in the UK there was a lot of talk about how everyone could choose to enjoy any type of sex so I thought "why not?" Additionally I had also had a string of failures with women.

They were nice guys, fun but they just couldn't get me hard. My body and brain did not connect what was happening with sex. Eventually one of them said, "Just relax!" and we all burst into gales of laughter when I pointed out,

"If I was any more relaxed, you could pour me off the sofa,"

I left a little while later and they carried on where I left off. It was all rather civilised.

This however was just a practical proof for there were indications before. The most obvious of these was (another*) homosexual friend who could not see why I found Michaelangelo's David devoid of beauty; to my eyes it is just a post coital man with a posing pouch slung over his shoulder.

+++++++++++

* at this time I worked at the British Museum, which had a very high proportion of LGBT staff.