There was a time when I was 'straight' and homophobic, as much as it pains me to admit it. I hurt a lot of people with my words and my attitudes, and I turned away disgusted at anything even remotely queer. Up until about ninth grade I was adamantly opposed to homosexuality, and I both believed AIDS to be a gay disease and I can even remember conversations where I would say shit like 'People ask "what did gay people ever do to you?" -and I say "well, they brought us AIDS."' How horrible.
I was deeply contorted by ultra-conservative viewpoints, and under the influence of my radically homophobic uncle and my bigoted father. My mother was always much more accepting, and even though she did converse with me on pretty equal terms about homophobic things, I feel she developed in understanding, even if by coincidence, alongside me.
Honestly I can say I did develop my homosexuality, well, not so much that, but I cannot really remember a time when I was a kid and knew I was gay. I did not know I was straight, either. I was a sexual late-bloomer, and it was natural that when I started getting into sex it was in the socially accepted manner. But I never really 'got' pornography, and junk like that. I was pretty much asexual until I was like 16 or so... in fact, I did not ejaculate until then, either. A late puberty, but when it hit I began to be attracted to men, and, although scared, began to become the gay individual I am today.
I can even remember the moment it was solidified... it was during the musical tour of 'Fosse' when it came to the Walton Arts Center, my dad used to work there so he got us tickets (he is homophobic but a drama major with gay friends and shit, believe me, my family does get more complex, I could write volumes). At one point, two (really cute) guys clothed in as little as possible dance very, very sensually with one another. There was a gay couple, a straight couple, and a lesbian couple. Very dark, just a few spotlights, smoke and all, and a very heavy musical accompaniment. I could not stop staring at the men... it was a very distinct moment in my life where something clicked. I knew that was me, and I changed. I was no longer disgusted, I was entranced. They had a little donation for AIDS research, and I emptied my wallet, and I got my first little red ribbon. It was an absolution for all the ill will I had wrought. I left that building gay.