Amy Ray is one-half of Grammy-winning duo the Indigo Girls. In addition to her two-decade-plus career with fellow IG Emily Saliers, the Georgia-born Ray has released two solo albums -- 2001's 'Stag' and 2005's 'Prom' -- and founded her own Daemon Records. She and Saliers are currently on tour in support of their latest album, 'Despite Our Differences.'

At what age did you start to question your sexuality?

When I was six [laughs]. No, I fell in love with a woman my senior year of high school, but we really didn't have words for it. [Gay] was something weird or perverted -- something you joked about. I just knew I was in love with this person and I would do anything to see her. We hung out all the time and wrote love letters to each other. We would hold hands in the car, and I would sneak out of my house at night to see her. I didn't even think about it -- it was pure emotion.

My mom came to me and was like, "What's going on? Are you gay?" And I was like, "I don't know what that means." My mom said, "Well, have you done anything physical with this person?" I got mad. We weren't even really kissing or anything -- totally innocent high school girlfriend crush. I didn't really come out all at once. I was with that person for a few years and we finally had sex my freshman year in college, and I was like, "Oh, this is what this means!" It was great for me, but her parents got really upset and it started falling apart.

Did her parents ever confront you?

Not really. I would come over to see her, and they wouldn't always let me. I think they might have talked to my mom but they never talked to me about it. I just kept conversation going a little bit with my mom -- not totally open, but it was sort of understood. When I had my second girlfriend -- my junior year in college -- I was definitely out with my family and friends. It was gradual -- I didn't wake up one day and say, "I'm gay and I'm coming out." My two older sisters are gay, too, and my mom and dad were very conservative. My dad had a harder time and would tell me I was perverted, and my mom would read all of my mail. I had no privacy at all.

I knew I was really out when I told my grandmother. I was about 25 or 26 and in my third relationship. It was very hard. She already knew, but I wanted to talk about it. We were very close. I told her this was the way it was going to be and this is the person I was going to be with. She was really cool about it. She was like, "If you love somebody, it's OK." She was raised in the South and very conservative on some levels, but she really knew how to evolve.