Twitter users share their ‘gay awakenings’ and our eyes are wide open

It doesn’t take much from a film or TV character — a shirtless scene, a sidelong glance, or even a smirk — to send impressionable viewers’ hearts aflutter. And on Twitter, users have been sharing the screen visions responsible for their gay awakenings.

The user-submitted Urban Dictionary definitions of “gay awakening,” by the way, are as wholesome as they are accurate. One says the experience “can sometimes be terrifying and sometimes [be] euphoric.” Another reads, “It’s scary and wonderful, and you lose all control. Your definition of love is redefined, and you realize this is what you have been waiting for.”

JoJo Siwa, for her part, treated viewers to a “gay awakening story time” last October on TikTok, saying she binge-listened to Demi Lovato’s 2015 song “Cool for the Summer” — long before she knew what it meant — and also glommed onto Jenna Dewan’s Magic Mike dance from Lip Sync Battle.

Below, we’ve rounded up dozens more “gay awakening story times”… to the tune of 45 tweets on the topic.

He was the gay awakening of an entire generation. pic.twitter.com/nBWst9wn0t

— Queer as folk (@br4444ulio) January 28, 2023

Like this was my gay awakening pic.twitter.com/KtNbVGvGq4

— Jager Maestro (@BiIIyldoI) April 19, 2022

happiest birthday to our gay awakening embeth davidtz pic.twitter.com/TGNwZQ2y0X

— már (@catebismyfav) August 11, 2021

When did you realise you were gay? Justin Long in Jeepers Creepers was an awakening for me. pic.twitter.com/PlTYLWCwqh

— Trekkie David (@davidmcgeoch9) January 29, 2023

My gay awakening https://t.co/SEKn8DhFLI pic.twitter.com/W3ODVSB2q1

— preorder FARZANAS SPITE ?????he/him (@authfelixgraves) June 2, 2021

honestly this guy from school of rock was a gay awakening pic.twitter.com/wxI0vRBPaf

— ??Denali?? (@denalifox) January 20, 2023

my first gay awakening pic.twitter.com/aJ4dtb4iyc

— ???????????? ? (@youngnudyimpala) July 12, 2021

they were my gay awakening pic.twitter.com/gXvCRcAWlq

— lil uzi vers (@NOCHlLLWlLL) November 30, 2022

my gay awakening pic.twitter.com/ScDNy8uNJC

— aisha ? (@simpfordamelios) December 16, 2022

Related: How Brad Pitt’s perfectly sculpted butt awakened James Scully’s inner homosexual

Rewatching some of Buffy Season 3 and it’s obvious that a lot of my gay awakening was Angel coming back from Hell butt naked. I think I wore down my video tape rewinding it and playing it over and over again. pic.twitter.com/lRZG4cnAlw

— The Scarlet B!tch ? (@thechildoftime) September 4, 2020

gay awakening pic.twitter.com/EjDhCeUqNs

— Paul MezKarl (@karlitsssssss) August 17, 2021

My gay awakening mayhaps x pic.twitter.com/KFPk3bs2cN

— Bad Wolf Archives (@BadWolfArchives) November 29, 2022

this was my gay awakening pic.twitter.com/JcIMNMDx72

— kate ? (@anxietylore) October 30, 2022

Random thought… but… er.. what was your gay awakening? pic.twitter.com/LJBHNkigYC

— DocBlythe (@Doc_Blythe) January 8, 2023

i tell you guys all the time that this woman was a huge part of my gay awakening and somehow i’m still blown away by her every time i see her pic.twitter.com/Wnjirf1ry1

— em (@joonember) January 25, 2023

Was this part of anyone else's gay sexual awakening, or just me? pic.twitter.com/76FCB8Oczh

— MattHercSmash (@MattHulkSmash) December 12, 2021

gay awakening methinks pic.twitter.com/AgE8TNdOCl

— h?j — ? (@vaxznas) January 21, 2023

so in retrospect I think george of the jungle was almost certainly my gay awakening? pic.twitter.com/o5rCDAlwhk

— Russell (@Medic_Russell) June 26, 2021

Lt. Surge was part of my gay awakening. pic.twitter.com/B67i91JN5J

— Donny (@dgschell) September 23, 2022

two words: gay. awakening. pic.twitter.com/jj6jwyJJlL

— jules. (@wildsapphic) January 6, 2023

my gay awakening pic.twitter.com/CoUI40jVrN

— abby | tlou spoilers (@villaneve15) December 28, 2022

Happy National Coming Out Day to my gay awakening pic.twitter.com/eFPdN8kyDX

— Holekage Of The Hidden Bussy Village (@CAdreamboy) October 12, 2022

this was my gay awakening pic.twitter.com/0HLD7BsR30

— Samantha (@itssamanthaaaa_) October 11, 2022

this was my gay awakening pic.twitter.com/PQd4cTZRJo

— jack (@bxshell_) August 11, 2022

gay awakening when i was small pic.twitter.com/S44s2gJmxc

— ? (@dyingroot) April 7, 2022

teen beach movie was my gay awakening pic.twitter.com/fomXTqPK2o

— Seddera Side (@sedderaside) August 4, 2022

dr mark sloan was my gay awakening pic.twitter.com/36bSeeLBzB

— ryan (@crymatica) August 30, 2021

my gay awakening pic.twitter.com/ZbqROWhejz

— Sasà ? (@auraofsasa) December 21, 2022

Related: Guys list the male movie characters who awakened their sexuality

Temple of Doom is very dated and questionable but it was also my gay awakening. 10/10 would let him tear my heart out pic.twitter.com/rTbSGCYbOo

— loona the boycott (@TropKickThunder) July 25, 2022

Camila Cabello was my gay awakening for a very good reason pic.twitter.com/VeA5muhtCd

— gaia| wenclair era (@PsychoFreakforC) October 8, 2022

This was my gay awakening pic.twitter.com/klbbofe0Lg

— Gay Toad (@GayToad_3) July 22, 2022

gay awakening pic.twitter.com/Ut3g28mwb8

— doja's gallery (@dojasgallery) May 30, 2021

Just remembered that Beiyuan was Chengling's gay awakening in the novel like yeah, relatable pic.twitter.com/Yx0ckV7Jra

— Twink Enjoyers Anonymous (@fubroshi) December 29, 2021

shay mitchell was my gay awakening like pic.twitter.com/PzQCBIkHfc

— earth rabbit (@mirubunnie) November 1, 2022

happy 76th birthday to @susansarandon, my gay awakening and spiritual mother ?? pic.twitter.com/IFzT8YJwAj

— milfvia plath (@gaynarowlands) October 4, 2022

my gay awakening pic.twitter.com/86MSg8IOzM

— chase (@chaseme) July 10, 2022

happy pride to my gay awakening pic.twitter.com/gqmxsaCpBt

— bela? (@avasword) June 7, 2022

my gay awakening pic.twitter.com/n57flYO1ZL

— hj (@catiebIanket) May 17, 2022

he was my gay awakening tbh pic.twitter.com/cDh9Wc2B1R

— alaska ?? (@onlinegirlie) April 24, 2021

my gay awakening pic.twitter.com/lYuiReAVtf

— abby | tlou spoilers (@villaneve15) April 12, 2022

she was my gay awakening. pic.twitter.com/qXBaBBh76d

— malia ? ia era (@tobesomals) February 23, 2022

il mio gay awakening pic.twitter.com/YrFTpL5GZw

— matisse (@iosonomatisse) March 21, 2022

This was my gay awakening pic.twitter.com/Fy9UBCUmiv

— Lakan (@jacques_lakan) February 16, 2022

Which fictional character caused your gay awakening ? Mine was Johnny storm ? pic.twitter.com/Ujo1vwYAfB

— Niks ? (@_Neekhil_) January 21, 2022

This man probably doesn’t know how large of a gay awakening he was/is. I’m still wanting that banana split. pic.twitter.com/WSNR4tiXLm

— Christian Mørk (@MorkyMork94) September 6, 2021