I never experimented with my sexuality as a teenager - dysphoria, depression, autism, etc. You get the gist. Good news: I’m finally starting to get my ducks in a row at the decrepit old age of 23 /j. Bad news: Oh god now I have to address this shit.
Gonna be honest, I have no ideas where to start. So… how did y’all figure out if you liked men/women/both/neither/whatever? Was it an instinctual thing that you just Noticed one day? Did you have to go on dates and try things out?
I’m a little nervous about coming across as an asshole if I hook up with someone and then realize “Oh! I hate this!” halfway through, y’know?
I was in my 30s when I started figuring out my gender and sexuality weren’t “normal” (I’m agender and pansexual with a preference for femmes), and it took years to decide on details, which over a decade later still fluctuate a bit. So, you’re still quite young and lucky to be able to question things freely.
Take your time, you have lots of time to figure it out. Question everything including your own learned reactions which sometimes seem like instinct at first. Look for things that trigger desire, rather than avoiding things that trigger repulsion. I found late that the repulsion was more learned, but the desire was always true. So following the positive rather than reacting to the negative worked well for me. And experiment with no regrets. If it turns out you don’t like a certain gender or genitals, so what if you tried it out once or twice. As long as you don’t push yourself, just do what feels good.
Best advice is to be very open and communicate in detail up front what your boundaries are and confirm consent constantly (both that you consent or not, and that the other person does). Consent can be retracted at any time if things don’t feel right. Otherwise, find some groups for LGBTQ+ people with good consent rules or some therapy groups where you can discuss things. That might need to be online if you don’t live in a place where it’s safe to be out, but there are safe spaces for discussing and experimenting, way more than when I was your age.
Most of all, enjoy the exploration and listen to your feelings.