@raptureman2020 Mom of a gay daughter here. Our daughter came out to us at 11, but she was showing
very clear signs ever since elementary school that her interests lay with girls, so we weren’t exactly surprised. Things like:
Posters of Taylor Swift and Hannah Montana in her room, not One Direction
Demanding to know who the “pretty girl” was in any movie we suggested seeing
Developing intense emotional crushes on girl friends while having virtually no interest in boys
So it’s definitely possible for your daughter to begin realizing her sexual preferences in elementary school. My daughter has a gay friend who came out in kindergarten.
I would think about whether your daughter has exhibited any age-appropriate interest in girls in the past, such as the types of things I mentioned above. That might give you a better idea of how long she’s been having these feelings.
But what I would NOT do is invalidate her feelings. Don’t tell her she’s too young, don’t tell her she’s mistaken, don’t tell her she’s just imitating her aunt. Just reassure her that you’ll support and love her regardless of who she ends up loving.
And just so you know, it’s completely normal for LGBTQ kids’ sexuality to shift around a bit. My daughter started out thinking she was bi, then decided she was a lesbian, then went back to bi for a while, and is now firmly in the lesbian camp. She also thought she might be genderfluid for a while. So if she does turn out to be gay, don’t be surprised if she changes her mind about what she is a few times—that happens a lot.