History Main / LGBTAwakening

* ''Webcomic/DarkestNight'': Nessa says she realized she's bisexual due to liking Creator/LauraDern wearing shorts in ''Film/JurassicPark''.

->''Or maybe it starts later, once she meets Haruka and Michiru. Maybe it only begins once she realises they're dating; realises that two girls dating is a thing that can happen, that feeling about girls the same way she's supposed to feel about boys is even possible. Maybe it only begins once she has enough information to put all pieces of the puzzle together.''

** "Wrath of the Righteous": Anevia Tirabade was once forced to escape while DisguisedInDrag. It felt so natural that she realized that's how she was meant to be; she was eventually given a GenderBender potion by her now-wife Irabeth to complete her transition.

* [[Manga/RanmaOneHalf Ranma]] in ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/23855998/chapters/57336778 Skies of Blue, Red Roses Too]] '' is mostly in denial at the start, [[HaveIMentionedIAmHeterosexualToday claiming a bit too emphatically to herself that she's just using her female form as a disguise]] until she gets somewhere safe, or hot showers make her uncomfortable. It's only after spending time in [[{{Gayborhood}} Beach City]]and despite her protests that ThereAreNoTherapists that can handle her, finding a [[WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse Gem]] therapist that can help her does she end her denial.

* In the Italian comedy ''Film/LeComiche2'', after a patient mix-up, a male character undergoes an accidental breast augmentation. Later in the movie, he has a comedic underwear exposure, revealing he is wearing a bra supporting large breasts (despite still presenting as male). The shame and embarrassment of the character is {{played for laughs}}. It is implied that some time has occurred so it remains unknown why he didn't medically correct the issue (embarrassment to seek help? lack of time/money? or started to develop feelings towards his newly acquired assets?). Shortly after he ends up in a hospital and he is given an equally accidental sexual reassignment surgery. Completely turned into a woman, she ends up enthusiastic about her new gender and life, despite the rather convoluted journey.

* The 2008 documentary ''When I Knew'' is based around interviews of people describing when they knew they were gay. Several examples are of this sort, such as one man being attracted to an actor on television and another guy who was attracted to a shirtless drawing on a pain medicine package as a child.

* In ''Literature/{{Loveless}}'': Georgia gets this after her failed kiss with her supposed high school crush. However, she still tries to force herself into the life of romance and only finally admits that she's aroace to herself after [[spoiler:getting disgusted by her first kiss with Jason.]]

* ''Series/Supergirl2015'': In season 2, [[spoiler:Alex]] becomes friends with Maggie, a lesbian cop, and tries to console her when she gets dumped by her girlfriend, which Maggie takes as hitting on her. She initially replies that she's not gay, but then begins to re-evaluate the situation because of conversations with Winn and her own experience of not liking men and enjoying feeling close to female friends -- this especially, the remembering of a romantic discovery that she'd buried, leads her to come out.

-->'''Robin:''' I am ''not''... I'm not ''very''... Oh, shit. You all know I ''am''.
-->'''Lillian''': I knew as soon as I met you.
-->'''Robin:''': ''I'' didn't know, then! I had a girlfriend. ''[beat] She'' knew.
* ''Series/ControlZ'': Gerry slowly realizes that he finds men attractive along with women, first indicated given that he's fascinated by gay porn. [[spoiler:In Season 2 he admits his feelings, and starts to date a man he meets.]]

* ''Series/TwinPeaks'': DEA Agent Denise Bryson realized she was transgender while on an undercover operation that involved dressing in women's clothing.

* One character in the ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' adventure path "Wrath of the Righteous" was forced to escape while DisguisedInDrag. It felt so natural that she realized that's how she was meant to be.

* PlayedForDrama in ''Webcomic/{{Exiern}}''. Typhan-knee describes how s/he originally realized s/he was gay (or a trans woman; the comic is {{ambiguous|GenderIdentity}} on this point due to [[DependingOnTheWriter multiple writers]] and a GenderBender spell that turned the biologically male character into a woman in the first chapter) when [[spoiler:he failed to get aroused by two women he intended to [[RapePillageAndBurn rape during a raid]] as a tribal rite of passage, but then ''was'' aroused when he went after a farmboy]].

* ''WesternAnimation/BoJackHorseman'': Todd doesn't seem to have thought about his sexuality much until he reunites with Emily in season 3 and she, after unsuccessfully pursuing him for a while, asks if he's gay. He admits that he doesn't really know what he is, and thinks he might be 'nothing.' By the next season, he seems to understand himself a little better and says that he might be asexual, which is confirmed as he attends an asexual meetup and realises he does relate to the other people there and has some of his own misconceptions (most notably, that asexuals can't want relationships) corrected.
* ''WebAnimation/TooLoud'': At the end of the episode "Slumber Party Sneak-In", Jeffrey realizes that he's more comfortable and happy as a girl.

* ''ComicBook/FunHome'': Alison Bechdel's earliest memory of identifying as a lesbian was at five when she saw a ButchLesbian dressed in men's clothes, describing it like recognizing a stranger from a home country. In ''ComicBook/AreYouMyMother'', she also points to watching ''Theatre/TheSoundOfMusic'' as a child and becoming attracted to Creator/JulieAndrews.

* In the ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' fic "[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/26370442/chapters/64229596 North Star]]", when Renesmee fled Forks to make her own life away from Jacob after she has settled into New York and made friends, it takes a comment by another member of her new group for Renesmee to realise that she is attracted to her new friend Jo, which she attributes in hindsight to the fact that she's been around male/female couples all her life and just isn't used to thinking of even the possibility of a same-sex couple.

* In ''Webcomic/KhaosKomix'' Amber began having {{Homoerotic Dream}}s involving her and [[PerverseSexualLust the Senshi]] after watching subbed ''Anime/SailorMoon'' episodes with her friends. It also helped reveal her crush on her friend Nay.

* In ''Webcomic/KhaosKomix'' Amber began having {{Homoerotic Dream}}s involving her and [[PerverseSexualLust the Senshi]] after watching subbed ''Anime/SailorMoon'' episodes with her friends. It also helped reveal her crush on her friend Nay.
* PlayedForDrama in ''Webcomic/{{Exiern}}''. Typhan-knee describes how s/he originally realized s/he was gay (or a trans woman; the comic is {{ambiguous|GenderIdentity}} on this point due to [[DependingOnTheWriter multiple writers]] and a GenderBender spell that turned the biologically male character into a woman in the first chapter) when [[spoiler:he failed to get aroused by two women he intended to [[RapePillageAndBurn rape during a raid]] as a tribal rite of passage, but then ''was'' aroused when he went after a farmboy]].

* In ''Mercy'', the companion piece/prequel to ''Webcomic/{{Sunstone}}'', Anne finds out that she is bisexual during a concert involving Miriam, a female symphonic rocker.
* ''Webcomic/DarkestNight'': Nessa says she realized she's bisexual due to liking Creator/LauraDern wearing shorts in ''Film/JurassicPark''.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

SuperTrope to ClosetKey, which is when feelings for someone provokes the revelation in people, and LastHetRomance, which is for when a character realizes they're gay after trying to date the opposite gender. SubTrope to TomatoInTheMirror and related to ComingOutStory and ComingOfAgeQueerRomance. BiWildered is also a common trope causing one of these. See also MentorInQueerness. Compare QueerEstablishingMoment, where the narrative establishes a character as queer, whether they knew they were queer beforehand or not. If this happens later in life, this is a LateComingOut.

* Chika from ''Manga/IsLoveTheAnswer'' realizes she's asexual after taking a test, and reading about asexuality. She also finds out she may not fully identify as female, occasionally feeling more genderless.

* In ''Fanfic/{{Girlfrenemies}}'', it takes Apple [[FakeRelationship pretending]] to be Raven's girlfriend for the wheels to start turning in her head that ''maybe'' she isn't straight after all. No one in the school doubts their relationship because they're so obviously in love, with Duchess' attempts at trying to out them as liars failing because no one believes Apple and Raven ''aren't'' dating. It takes some introspection and panicking until Apple fully comes to terms with her feelings towards Raven and her attraction towards girls.

* Part of ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' fancomic ''Rainbow Delivery Service'' involves Kevin coming to terms with being bisexual after getting a crush on the nonbinary but masculine-presenting Rainbow Quartz; he initially tries to deny it by making himself think Rainbow is a girl, but is forced to confront it when Rainbow outright tells Kevin he isn't a woman.
* In the ''Manga/AzumangaDaioh'' fanfic ''Fanfic/{{Warmth}}'', Minamo has been repressing her feelings towards her best friend Yukari since high school. Seeing a lesbian couple kissing in the streets gets her to acknowledge her bisexuality and her affections towards Yukari.

* In the Italian comedy ''Film/LeComiche2'', after a patient mix-up, a male character undergoes an accidental breast augmentation. Later in the movie he has a comedic underwear exposure, revealing he is wearing a bra supporting large breasts (despite still presenting as male). The shame and embarrassment of the character is {{played for laughs}}. It is implied that some time has occurred so it remains unknown why he didn't medically correct the issue (embarrassment to seek help? lack of time/money? or started to develop feelings towards his newly acquired assets?). Shortly after he ends up in an hospital and he is given an equally accidental sexual reassignment surgery. Completely turned into a woman, she ends up enthusiast about her new gender and life, despite the rather convoluted journey.

* Aoi from ''Manga/YoureUnderArrest'' is on the [[TheChikan anti-chikan]] section of her police force. She was DisguisedInDrag to catch people, however she ended up liking living as a woman and [[UsefulNotes/{{transgender}} stayed that way full-time]].

* Nitori from ''Manga/WanderingSon'' began wearing feminine clothes and attempting to pass as female after classmates made her put on a headband as a joke. Befriending a kindred spirit, a trans boy named Takatsuki, was also a big component.
* ''Manga/MyLesbianExperienceWithLoneliness'' is an autobiographical account of the author's realization of and coming to terms with her sexuality.
* ''Manga/LoveMeForWhoIAm'': Though she already internally identified as a girl, it was Mogumo's hiring that allowed [[spoiler:Mei Tatebayashi]] to realize she was allowed to consider herself a girl, and not just a girlyboy. Encouragement from the cafe's other employees also helped.

* Clementine from ''ComicBook/BlueIsTheWarmestColor'' starts to understand her orientation when she first met a blue-haired woman she later realises was Emma.

* In the ''Manga/AzumangaDaioh'' fanfic ''Fanfic/{{Warmth}}'', Minamo has been repressing her feelings towards her best friend Yukari since high school. Seeing a lesbian couple kissing in the streets gets her to acknowledge her bisexuality and her affections towards Yukari.
* In the ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' fic "[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/26370442/chapters/64229596 North Star]]", when Renesmee fled Forks to make her own life away from Jacob after she has settled into New York and made friends, it takes a comment by another member of her new group for Renesmee to realise that she is attracted to her new friend Jo, which she attributes in hindsight to the fact that she's been around male/female couples all her life and just isn't used to thinking of even the possibility of a same-sex couple.

* ''Fanfic/ClairDeLune'': Being a FishOutOfTemporalWater, Lune doesn't know that [[UsefulNotes/{{Transgender}} gender transitioning]] exists in modern Equestria. He learns about it when [[DreamWalker he sees the nightmare]] of a mare who believed she detransitioned. Upon learning about transitioning, Lune decides to transition himself.
* Part of ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' fancomic ''Rainbow Delivery Service'' involves Kevin coming to terms with being bisexual after getting a crush on the nonbinary but masculine-presenting Rainbow Quartz; he initially tries to deny it by making himself think Rainbow is a girl, but is forced to confront it when Rainbow outright tells Kevin he isn't a woman.
* In ''Fanfic/WhereTalentGoesToDie'', Kaori Miura has a variant when she gets aroused by looking at a magazine with pictures of naked women. In her case, she had known she was attracted to girls before but realizes that since she's 18, she can no longer dismiss it as part of the GayRomanticPhase, and is forced to acknowledge that she's actually a lesbian.

* In ''Film/MishimaALifeInFourChapters'', a {{biopic}} about gay Japanese writer Creator/YukioMishima, the famous painting of a bare-chested Saint Sebastian being pierced by arrows is what prompts his first act of masturbation.
* The Creator/KevinKline film ''Film/InAndOut'' is entirely about this trope. Howard Brackett is a teacher who is outed by one of his former students on national television. Except that Howard doesn't believe he ''is'' gay. In fact, he's about to be married to a beautiful woman. However, as his friends start to consider the idea, they notice that the evidence is pretty strong. Eventually, after many shenanigans, Howard finally realizes that the evidence is so strong because it's ''true.''

* The 2008 documentary ''When I Knew'' is based around interviews of people describing when they knew they were gay. Several examples are of this sort, such as one man being attracted to an actor on television and another guy who was attracted to a shirtless drawing on a pain medicine package as a child.

SuperTrope to ClosetKey, which is when feelings for someone provokes the revelation in people, and LastHetRomance, which is for when a character realizes they're gay after trying to date the opposite gender. SubTrope to TomatoInTheMirror and related to ComingOutStory and ComingOfAgeQueerRomance. BiWildered is also a common trope causing one of these. See also MentorInQueerness. Compare QueerEstablishingMoment, where the narrative establishes a character as queer, whether they knew they were queer beforehand or not.

* In ''Film/MishimaALifeInFourChapters'', the famous painting of a bare-chested Saint Sebastian being pierced by arrows is what prompts Kimitake's first act of masturbation.

* ''Webcomic/DarkestNight'': Nessa says she realizes she's bisexual due to liking Creator/LauraDern wearing shorts in ''Film/JurassicPark''.