As a straight person in the current world, I often run up against difficulties in making friends with people who are of a different sexuality than straight. It is not that I have a problem with people who are gay/lesbian/bisexual/trans whatever, it is that I often find myself, when face to face to with such individuals, full of questions. Questions that I am afraid of asking due to offending the person. I have a natural, albeit, accepting curiosity of those who have a different sexual bent from my own and would love to sit down over coffee and chat about day to day life while possibly learning a bit about the way they see the world and their experiences in it through their particular lenses. Every time I think I am ready to muster up the courage and ask them something personal, I clam up, get embarrassed and walk away, possibly missing out on a great friendship all because I am too afraid of offending them by being open. There are so many things I would like to know, things like "what was it like when you first realized you are attracted to other men/women?" or "What made you first accept that you are a man living in a woman's body?" I simply can't ask though. What if they feel I am being presumptuous and rude? What if they feel they are being stereotyped because they think I am only basing my assumptions on the way they dress or talk? What if they think that I am simply trying to add "a gay friend" to my circle? I feel that because I am straight that there are things I am simply not allowed to approach and I fear that if I start to make friends with someone they will bring it up and I will then say something to make them feel uncomfortable and sorry for sharing with me. I need suggestions on how to go about this from people who know what the right things to say are. What is the right thing to say? Help!