From the cover of national magazines to the halls of high schools, young gay Americans are appearing out and proud where they never have before—including the prom! If it seems that gay teenagers are discovering their sexuality at a younger age than ever, that's because they are.

According to Time Magazine, four decades ago the majority of lesbians reported having their first same-sex attractions at age 17. In the last decade, the average age dropped to 12. For gay boys 40 years ago, most said they knew they were gay at age 14. Male teens today say they've known since they were at least 10 years old.

And these new gay teens are acting on their feelings sooner, too. Today the average age of the first sexual experience for lesbians is 16 and for gay boys is 14.

It's estimated that nearly 1 in 10 high schools have clubs for gay students. This can make coming out easier for teens…but easier by no means implies that it's easy. Once they come out, gay teens still face a myriad of unique problems including higher rates of suicide and homelessness than the general population.