Gays recall the times they confessed their crushes on straight guys

Crushes on straight guys are practically a rite of passage for queer males, as one commenter pointed out this month in a viral Reddit thread on the topic. The conversation kicked off when another user asked, “Have you ever told a straight guy that you have a crush on him?”

As you might expect, many of the commenters have either done so and regretted it or vowed never to do so. (Recall, if you will, that one gay Redditor who recently begged others to stop romanticizing “turning” straight guys.)

Here’s a selection of (sometimes abridged) stories from that Reddit thread, with results ranging from disastrous to endearing.

How about we take this to the next level?

Subscribe to our newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.

Daily

Weekly

Bad reactions

“Yes, and it was the worst day of my f*cking life. Just thought it would go better than it did. I don’t know why I was hoping it would be one of those fairy tale moments, but instead, he was like, ‘Why would you tell me that?’”

“Ditto. We were planning to room together the next year at university. He told me he didn’t want to live with me. We eventually patched it up after about a year. But obviously, he wasn’t secretly the man of my dreams.”

“I did, because I said, ‘Why the hell not?’ … just for him to say he was actually bisexual but that I’m not his type. I would have preferred a simple no.”

“Yep, I thought that, considering they were my best friends, it was mandatory to tell them what I was feeling at the time. Lost them both.”

Better reactions

“Yup, just a couple of years ago. We were both drunk, and I just felt like exposing myself for some reason, haha. His response? ‘I know.’ That was so funny to me because this whole time I thought I was being discreet, but it turns out he knew the whole time and just went along with it. Thankfully, I’m over him now and we are still friends!”

“Yeah… got rejected softly, but it was still sweet.”

“Yes, with my coworker, and I got respectfully rejected, so that was the last time I ever did that, lol. I’ll still never forget that ass in those khakis.”

“Yes, it happened twice. The first time, in high school, I just told him. Big mistake, it really messed up our friendship, he felt weird about it, and it never recovered. The second time, also in high school, I did not tell him, but I guess I made it obvious somehow because he straight-up asked me with a coy smile if I had a crush on him. I said yes, and we actually remained friends. It didn’t change at all. He was really cool. He even gave me hugs goodbye after lunch, for example, and wasn’t weird about it.”

“I have. I was very close to a friend, and we both developed feelings. … He one day asked how I felt about him. I was honest: I had a strong attraction to him, but I had no intention of acting on it ever. … He thought on this for a while, and I asked why he asked. He said he had been thinking about us. I asked why. He said because he thought he might feel something and he wasn’t sure what. I did not expect this. … I asked what that meant. He said he didn’t know, but he said he was not gay. I said that’s OK. … I said to him that I did not think he had sexual feelings towards me, that I thought it was the first healthy male relationship he had experienced. I told him he was liking the intimacy we had, [which] probably stirred up some confusing and conflicting feelings, and that it was OK to have them … He was quiet for a bit and was obviously thinking it over, and it all clicked for him. He gave me a big hug, and I left not too long later. I meant every word. And I got in my car, and I cried. He is still in my life, and I am so glad we did not cross that line. He is still one of the most lovely, beautiful-souled, and sexually appealing people I’ve met. (Current partner tops that, though, so, win!)”

Best reactions

“Yes… he thought it was hot.”

“Yup. Got a hug and a promise that if he ever has the urge to try something with a guy, he’ll hit me up. Stayed friends for years after.”

“Yes, a guy whom everyone had a crush on in my theater group. He was one of the most open-minded, loving people I know. My confession came about when rehearsing a scene with him where we kissed. He was flattered and took it all in stride, never flinching. It even created a better dynamic in our friendship. Plus, I was instrumental in getting him together with his wife of now over 20 years.”

“Yes, now he’s my best friend, and we joke we are going to be like Will and Grace, ending up together in a sexless relationship, hahaha.”

Related:

Gay dudes recount the most desperate things they’ve done for the affection of straight guys

Desperate crushes call for desperate measures, apparently!