Share the Moment You Knew: Gay Twitter Reveals Their Celebrity Awakenings

Growing up as an LGBTQ+ person is a roller coaster of emotions, thoughts, and feelings. Sometimes some things make us queer during our youth, and we don't even understand it yet because of the heteronormative society we're living amongst. The one universal thing for gay children we can agree on is that novel attraction to the same sex that other kids aren't experiencing. When we watch a movie or show, and someone catches our eye, their charismatic smile or incredible physique that we've been told not to be infatuated with, yet they're irresistible in a confusing way.

Welcome to the gay awakening! Twitter users were sharing some of their favorite celebrities who served as that epiphany, that rainbow lightbulb in our minds and hearts that lets us know we may not be the same as everyone else. Time to look at the moments that let us know about the beauty of same-sex attraction during our younger years!

David Henrie

If you're in your mid-20s, you probably remember the hysteria around Disney Channel's "Wizard of Waverly Place." The show that gave Selena Gomez her start on-screen was a wonderful mix of whimsy and humor that was inviting for people of all ages. And while straight boys were probably crushing on Gomez, queer ones were definitely entranced by the musculature of David Henrie. This heartthrob portrayed Justin, the older brother of Gomez's character, Alex Russo.

John Stamos

Many 80s kids remembers the corny, but familiar coziness of "Full House." This sitcom about a widower, his brother-in-law, and his best friend raising his three daughters was a familiar site on TV screens for decades all the way up to today. Uncle Jesse, played by John Stamos, served as more than a few gay men's awakenings while they were in their adolescence. Have mercy indeed!

Taylor Lautner

No young millennial's entertainment journey was complete without getting hooked on the "Twilight" books and movies. Even though the story of the vampiric love triangle depicted in the adaptation of Stephanie Meyer's novels wasn't exactly that well-written, the jaw-dropping looks of Taylor Lautner were more than enough for girls and gays to keep their eyes fixated on the big screen on opening night at the theater!

Manu Rios

One of the biggest stars of Netflix's "Elite," Manu Rios is as sexy as it gets. The Spaniard combines a swag and a physical beauty that is hardly matched by other actors right now. It also helps that he isn't afraid to play LGBTQ+ roles, inspiring the gay youth that are also being awakened to their sexuality due to his thirst-worthiness. Look out for him in the upcoming gay cowboy short film from out filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, starring Pablo Pascal and Ethan Hawke

Tom Holland

Stepping into the role of Spiderman already gives you a built-in appeal, but when you're Tom Holland, you somehow elevate the friendly neighborhood hero into a sex symbol. Zendaya clearly agrees with us, as she's been dating Holland for several years now after co-starring with him in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

One Direction

There are boy bands, and then there's One Direction. Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Liam Payne were a special ensemble of boys who used a relatable appeal to attract millions of rabid fans who are still eagerly awaiting their reunion almost a decade after the band's hiatus. More than a few gay men owe their sexual awakening to these handsome Brits. It's more a matter of which one truly made it click for you (Zayn circa 2013 is the definition of perfection, by the way.)

Chris Evans

America's superhero was actually catching the attention of the gays well before he jumped into the patriotic tights of the MCU. The actor's whip cream bikini in 2001's "Not Another Teen Movie" is more than a little sensual. His cockiness in the role of the Human Torch in "Fantastic Four" was also hot as hell.

Zac Efron

If "High School Musical" was the young millennial version of "Grease," then Zac Efron is our version of John Travolta. Seeing the hot combination of jock and artsy mix in Efron's portrayal of a basketball player turned theater performer was enticing enough to watch over and over again on Disney Channel!

Mario Lopez

Mario Lopez is now in the daddy stage of his career, but he was once a pure sex symbol with dimples that went unmatched by any other cutie in 90s Hollywood. Tall, dark, handsome, and youthful is a quadruple threat for the ages in gay culture! Any young gay child was sure to melt at the site of Lopez.

William Moseley

"The Chronicles of Narnia" is now one of the more underrated fantasy movie series of the late 2000s. Still, folks coming up gay when the films were released will never forget the calm sexiness of William Moseley who portrayed big brother Peter Pevensie. From eight years old, this fan knew that Moseley was his cup of tea.

Jonathan Taylor Thomas

This suggestion comes from a fan who grew up on the family fun of the Tim Allen sitcom "Home Improvement," which ran on ABC from 1991 through 1999. The show followed the Taylor family, a brood of five that included the teen heartthrob Jonathan Taylor Thomas as the middle child, Randy. JTT was on every teen magazine in the '90s, getting roles outside of TV such as the voice actor of Young Simba in "The Lion King."

Hayden Christensen

There's nothing like seeing sweaty Hayden Christensen wake up in the middle of the night after enduring a Sith-infused nightmare as Anakin Skywalker in the "Star Wars" prequels. I'll speak for myself by saying I didn't know what was happening when I was 10 years old, but when this man was huffing and puffing in front of me, it definitely let me know I wasn't straight.