Article: Sometimes it's hard to pinpoint exactly how you are feeling when you have interest in a new person. You may want to spend a lot of time with someone, and think about them a lot, but you're not sure exactly what that means. In order to move forward, you need to understand what your feelings actually are.  You need to be able to distinguish between wanting to be friends and a sexual crush. Do you fantasize about kissing the girl or do you just want to spend a lot of time with the girl? If you simply want to spend time with the girl then you may just have a friend crush. If you want to be romantic with the girl then you probably have a sexual crush on the girl. Try writing down what is going on with you. This may help you clarify your feelings. Sometimes it can be confusing to figure out the difference between really liking a friend as a friend and having romantic feelings for a friend. Making a list of your feelings can help you figure out if you have a romantic crush or you just want to be best friends with this person. You could also discuss your feelings with a close friend. Tell them about your feelings and ask your friend why you are confused about them. Don't freak out! Just because you have a crush on someone of the same sex it does not make you strange. Instead, it makes you a developing young woman who is getting to know herself and her desires, which is perfectly normal.  Know that there are thousands of others out there who have had to deal with the same confusion. Many of them have figured out a solution, and so will you! This is a chance for you to explore your sexual identity. Do some reading about how sexual identity is formed and what happens when people become sexually mature. This should help calm any fears you are having because what you are feeling is perfectly normal. Don't try to fight your natural desires. Instead, accept them and embrace them with pride. It's important to be true to yourself!  If you feel like you might potentially be a lesbian or bisexual, consider finding a place in the LGBT community. These are the people who will understand your feelings and give you the support you need. Consider joining a gay-straight alliance at your school or going to a teen group at your local LGBT center. You can even find community online, in forums such as those on emptyclosets.com. It can be hard to come to grips with a same-sex attraction yourself, let alone letting others know about it. However, willing your feelings to go away or deciding to never let anyone know about them will not make them go away.  In fact, hiding who you really are can really impact your relationships and not allow you to fully enjoy the relationships you have with those you love. This doesn't mean that you need to shout about your crush from the rooftops. It just means that you shouldn't keep your crush a total secret. Keeping it a secret implies that there is something wrong with it, which there isn't. If you are hesitant to let a lot of people know, pick a friend to confide in and tell him or her about your feelings. If you think it might be dangerous for you to tell your family or friends that you have same-sex feelings, find a trusted adult or counselor to confide in to get advice. You should always put your safety first.

What is a summary?
Assess your feelings. Know that these feelings are normal. Accept your feelings. Don't hide these feelings forever.