This article is aboutgay as an English-language term. For the sexual orientation, seehomosexuality. For homosexual men, seegay men. For homosexual women, seelesbian. For other uses, seeGay (disambiguation).
Gay is a term thatprimarily refers to ahomosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'.[1]
While scant usage referring tomale homosexuality dates to the late 19th century, that meaning became increasingly common by the mid-20th century.[2] In modernEnglish,gay has come to be used as anadjective, and as anoun, referring to thecommunity,practices andcultures associated with homosexuality. In the 1960s,gay became the word favored byhomosexual men to describe theirsexual orientation.[3] By the end of the 20th century and beginning of the 21st century, the wordgay was recommended by majorLGBTQ groups andstyle guides to describe people attracted to members of the same sex,[4][5] although it is more commonly used to refer specifically to men.[6]
At about the same time, a new,pejorative use became prevalent in some parts of the world. Among younger speakers, the word has a meaning ranging from derision (e.g., equivalent to 'rubbish' or 'stupid') to a light-hearted mockery or ridicule (e.g., equivalent to 'weak', 'unmanly', or 'lame'). The extent to which these usages still retain connotations of homosexuality has been debated and harshly criticized.[7][8][needs update]
History
Overview
Cartoon fromPunch magazine in 1857 illustrating the use of "gay" as acolloquialeuphemism for being a prostitute;[9] one woman says to the other (who looks glum), "How long have you been gay?" The poster on the wall is forLa Traviata, an opera about acourtesan
The wordgay arrived in English during the 12th century fromOld Frenchgai, most likely deriving ultimately from aGermanic source.[2]
In English, the word's primary meaning was "joyful", "carefree", "bright and showy", and the word was very commonly used with this meaning in speech and literature. For example, theoptimistic 1890s are still often referred to as theGay Nineties. The title of the 1938 FrenchballetGaîté Parisienne ("Parisian Gaiety"), which became the 1941Warner Brothers movie,The Gay Parisian,[10] also illustrates this connotation. It was apparently not until the 20th century that the word began to be used to mean specifically "homosexual", although it had earlier acquired sexual connotations.[2]
The derived abstract noungaiety remains largely free of sexual connotations and has, in the past, been used in the names of places of entertainment, such as theGaiety Theatre in Dublin.
The word may have started to acquire associations of sexualimmorality as early as the 14th century, but had certainly acquired them by the 17th.[2] By the late 17th century, it had acquired the specific meaning of "addicted to pleasures and dissipations",[11] an extension of its primary meaning of "carefree" implying "uninhibited by moral constraints". Agay woman was aprostitute, agay man awomanizer, and agay house abrothel.[12][2] An example is a letter read to a London court in 1885 during the prosecution of brothel madam and procuressMary Jeffries that had been written by a girl while enslaved inside of a French brothel:
I write to tell you it is a gay house ... Some captains came in the other night, and the mistress wanted us to sleep with them.[13]
The use ofgay to mean "homosexual" was often an extension of its application to prostitution: agay boy was a young man or boy serving male clients.[14]
Similarly, agay cat was a young male apprenticed to an olderhobo and commonly exchanging sex and other services for protection and tutelage.[2] The application to homosexuality was also an extension of the word's sexualized connotation of "carefree and uninhibited", which implied a willingness to disregard conventional or respectablesexual mores. Such usage, documented as early as the 1920s, was likely present before the 20th century,[2] although it was initially more commonly used to imply heterosexually unconstrained lifestyles, as in the once-common phrase "gay Lothario",[15] or in the title of the book and filmThe Gay Falcon (1941), which concerns a womanizing detective whose first name is "Gay". Similarly,Fred Gilbert andG. H. MacDermott'smusic hall song of the 1880s, "Charlie Dilke Upset the Milk" – "Master Dilke upset the milk, when taking it home to Chelsea; the papers say that Charlie's gay, rather a wilful wag!" – referred to SirCharles Dilke's alleged heterosexual impropriety.[16] Giving testimony in court in 1889, the prostituteJohn Saul stated: "I occasionally do odd-jobs for different gay people."[17]
Well into the mid 20th century a middle-aged bachelor could be described as "gay", indicating that he was unattached and therefore free, without any implication of homosexuality. This usage could apply to women too. The British comic stripJane, first published in the 1930s, described the adventures ofJane Gay. Far from implying homosexuality, it referred to her free-wheeling lifestyle with plenty of boyfriends (while also punning onLady Jane Grey).
A passage fromGertrude Stein'sMiss Furr & Miss Skeene (1922) is possibly the first traceable published use of the word to refer to a homosexual relationship. According to Linda Wagner-Martin (Favored Strangers: Gertrude Stein and her Family, 1995) the portrait "featured the sly repetition of the word gay, used with sexual intent for one of the first times in linguistic history", andEdmund Wilson (1951, quoted byJames Mellow inCharmed Circle, 1974) agreed.[18] For example:
They were ... gay, they learned little things that are things in being gay, ... they were quite regularly gay.
— Gertrude Stein, 1922
The word continued to be used with the dominant meaning of "carefree", as evidenced by the title ofThe Gay Divorcee (1934), a musical film about a heterosexual couple.
Bringing Up Baby (1938) was the first film to use the wordgay in an apparent reference to homosexuality. In a scene in whichCary Grant's character's clothes have been sent to the cleaners, he is forced to wear a woman's feather-trimmed robe. When another character asks about his robe, he responds, "Because I just wentgay all of a sudden!" Since this was a mainstream film at a time, when the use of the word to refer tocross-dressing (and, by extension, homosexuality) would still be unfamiliar to most film-goers, the line can also be interpreted to mean, "I just decided to do something frivolous."[19]
In 1950, the earliest reference found to date for the wordgay as a self-described name for homosexuals came from Alfred A. Gross, executive secretary for the George W. Henry Foundation, who said in the June 1950 issue of SIR magazine: "I have yet to meet a happy homosexual. They have a way of describing themselves as gay but the term is a misnomer. Those who are habitues of the bars frequented by others of the kind, are about the saddest people I've ever seen."[20]
Shift to specificallyhomosexual
By the mid-20th century,gay was well established in reference to hedonistic and uninhibited lifestyles[11] and its antonymstraight, which had long had connotations of seriousness, respectability, and conventionality, had now acquired specific connotations of heterosexuality.[21] In the case ofgay, other connotations of frivolousness and showiness in dress ("gay apparel") led to association withcamp andeffeminacy. This association no doubt helped the gradual narrowing in scope of the term towards its current dominant meaning, which was at first confined to subcultures.Gay was the preferred term since other terms, such asqueer, were felt to be derogatory.[22]Homosexual is perceived as excessively clinical,[23][24][25] since the sexual orientation now commonly referred to as "homosexuality" was at that time amental illnessdiagnosis in theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).
In mid-20th century Britain, where male homosexuality was illegal until theSexual Offences Act 1967, to openly identify someone as homosexual was considered very offensive and an accusation of serious criminal activity. Additionally, none of the words describing any aspect of homosexuality were considered suitable for polite society. Consequently, a number ofeuphemisms were used to hint at suspected homosexuality. Examples include "sporty" girls and "artistic" boys,[26] all with the stress deliberately on the otherwise completely innocent adjective.
The 1960s marked the transition in the predominant meaning of the wordgay from that of "carefree" to the current "homosexual". In the British comedy-drama filmLight Up the Sky! (1960), directed byLewis Gilbert, about the antics of a British Army searchlight squad during World War II, there is a scene in the mess hut where the character played byBenny Hill proposes an after-dinner toast. He begins, "I'd like to propose..." at which point a fellow diner interjects "Who to?", implying a proposal of marriage. The Benny Hill character responds, "Not to you for start, you ain't my type". He then adds in mock doubt, "Oh, I don't know, you're rather gay on the quiet."
By 1963, a new sense of the wordgay was known well enough to be used byAlbert Ellis in his bookThe Intelligent Woman's Guide to Man-Hunting. Similarly,Hubert Selby Jr. in his 1964 novelLast Exit to Brooklyn, could write that a character "took pride in being a homosexual by feeling intellectually and esthetically superior to those (especially women) who weren't gay...."[27] Later examples of the original meaning of the word being used in popular culture include the theme song to the 1960–1966 animated TV seriesThe Flintstones, wherein viewers are assured that they will "have a gay old time." Similarly, the 1966Herman's Hermits song "No Milk Today", which became a Top 10 hit in the UK and aTop 40 hit in the U.S., included the lyric "No milk today, it was not always so;The company was gay, we'd turn night into day."[28]
In June 1967, the headline of the review of the Beatles'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album in the British daily newspaperThe Times stated, "The Beatles revive hopes of progress in pop music with their gay new LP".[29] The same year,The Kinks recorded "David Watts", which is about a schoolmate of Ray Davies, but is named after a homosexual concert promoter they knew, with the ambiguous line "he is so gay and fancy-free" attesting to the word's double meaning at that time.[30] As late as 1970, the first episode ofThe Mary Tyler Moore Show has the demonstrably straightMary Richards' neighbor Phyllis breezily declaiming that Mary is still "young and gay", but in an episode about two years later, Phyllis is told that her brother is "gay", which is immediately understood to mean that he is homosexual.
TheAmerican Psychological Association definessexual orientation as "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions to men, women, or both sexes," ranging "along a continuum, from exclusive attraction to the other sex to exclusive attraction to the same sex."[31] Sexual orientation can also be "discussed in terms of three categories: heterosexual (having emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to members of the other sex), gay/lesbian (having emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to members of one's own sex), andbisexual (having emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to both men and women)."[31]
According to Rosario, Schrimshaw, Hunter, Braun (2006), "the development of a lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) sexual identity is a complex and often difficult process. Unlike members of otherminority groups (e.g., ethnic and racial minorities), most LGB individuals are not raised in a community of similar others from whom they learn about their identity and who reinforce and support that identity. Rather, LGB individuals are often raised in communities that are either ignorant of or openly hostile toward homosexuality."[32]
The Britishgay rights activistPeter Tatchell has argued that the termgay is merely a cultural expression which reflects the current status of homosexuality within a given society, and claiming that "Queer, gay, homosexual ... in the long view, they are all just temporary identities. One day, we will not need them at all."[33]
If a person engages in sexual activity with a partner of the same sex but does not self-identify as gay, terms such as 'closeted', 'discreet', or 'bi-curious' may apply. Conversely, a person may identify as gay without having had sex with a same-sex partner. Possible choices include identifying as gay socially, while choosing to becelibate, or while anticipating a first homosexual experience. Further, a bisexual person might also identify as "gay" but others may considergay andbisexual to bemutually exclusive. There are some who are drawn to the same sex but neither engage in sexual activity nor identify as gay; these could have the termasexual applied, even thoughasexual generally can mean no attraction, or involve heterosexual attraction but no sexual activity.
Some reject the termhomosexual as an identity-label because they find it too clinical-sounding;[24][25][34] they believe it is too focused on physical acts rather than romance or attraction, or too reminiscent of the era when homosexuality was considered a mental illness. Conversely, some reject the termgay as an identity-label because they perceive the cultural connotations to be undesirable or because of the negative connotations of the slang usage of the word.
Style guides, like the following from theAssociated Press, call forgay overhomosexual:
Gay: Used to describe men and women attracted to the same sex, thoughlesbian is the more common term for women. Preferred overhomosexual except in clinical contexts or references to sexual activity.[6]
There are those who reject the gay label for reasons other than shame or negative connotations. WriterAlan Bennett[35] and fashion iconAndré Leon Talley[36] are out and openqueer men who reject being labeled gay, believing the gay label confines them.
Starting in the mid-1980s in the United States, a conscious effort was underway within what was then commonly called thegay community, to add the termlesbian to the name of organizations that involved both male and female homosexuals, and to use the terminology ofgay and lesbian,lesbian/gay, or a similar phrase when referring to that community. Accordingly, organizations such as the National Gay Task Force became theNational Gay and Lesbian Task Force. For many feminist lesbians, it was also important thatlesbian be named first, to avoid the implication that women were secondary to men, or an afterthought.[37] In the 1990s, this was followed by a similar effort to include terminology specifically including bisexual,transgender,intersex, and other people, reflecting the intra-community debate about the inclusion of these other sexual minorities as part of the same movement. Consequently, the portmanteaules/bi/gay has sometimes been used, andinitialisms such asLGBT,LGBTQ,LGBTQI, and others have come into common use by such organizations, and most news organizations have formally adopted some such variation.
The termgay can also be used as an adjective to describe things related to homosexual men, or things which are part ofthe said culture. For example, the term "gay bar" describes the bar which either caters primarily to a homosexual male clientele or is otherwise part of homosexual male culture.
Using it to describe an object, such as an item of clothing, suggests that it is particularly flamboyant, often on the verge of being gaudy and garish. This usage predates the association of the term with homosexuality but has acquired different connotations since the modern usage developed.
Use as a noun
The labelgay was originally used purely as anadjective ("he is a gay man" or "he is gay"). The term has also been in use as anoun with the meaning "homosexual man" since the 1970s, most commonly in the plural for an unspecified group, as in "gays are opposed to that policy." This usage is somewhat common in the names of organizations such asParents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) andChildren of Lesbians And Gays Everywhere (COLAGE). It is sometimes used to refer to individuals, as in "he is a gay" or "two gays were there too," although this may be perceived as derogatory.[38] It was also used for comedic effect by theLittle Britain character Dafydd Thomas. To avoid pejorative connotations, the adjective form can be used instead, e.g. "gay person" or "gay people".
Generalized pejorative use
When used with a derisive attitude (e.g., "that was so gay"), the wordgay ispejorative. Though retaining other meanings, its use among young people as a term ofdisparagement is common; 97 percent of American LGBTQ middle and high school students reported hearing its negative use as of 2021.[7][39][40]
This pejorative usage has its origins in the late 1970s, with the word gaining a pejorative sense by association with the previous meaning: homosexuality was seen as inferior or undesirable.[41] Beginning in the 1980s, and especially in the late 1990s, the usage as a generic insult became common among young people.[7] Use of "gay" in some circumstances continues to be considered a pejorative in present day. As recently as 2023, the American Psychological Association described language like "that's so gay" asheterosexist andheteronormative.[42]
The pejorative usage of the word "gay" has been criticized ashomophobic. A 2006BBC ruling by theBoard of Governors over the negative use of the word byChris Moyles advises that "caution on its use"; however, it acknowledges its common use among young people to mean "rubbish" or "lame".[39]
The BBC's ruling was heavily criticized by the Minister for Children,Kevin Brennan, who stated in response that "the casual use of homophobic language by mainstream radio DJs" is:
"too often seen as harmless banter instead of the offensive insult that it really represents. ... To ignore this problem is to collude in it. The blind eye to casual name-calling, looking the other way because it is the easy option, is simply intolerable."[43]
Shortly after the Moyles incident, a campaign against homophobia was launched in Britain under the slogan "homophobia is gay", playing on the double meaning of the word "gay" in youth culture, as well as the popular perception that vocal homophobia is common among closeted homosexuals.[44]
The United States had its own popular campaign against the pejorative use of "gay" calledThink B4 You Speak. It was created in 2008 in partnership with the Advertising Council, GLSEN, and Arnold NYC. This initiative created television, radio, print and web PSAs with goals "to motivate teens to become allies in the efforts to raise awareness, stop using anti-LGBT language and safely intervene when they are present and anti-LGBT harassment and behavior occurs."[45]
Research has looked into the use and effect of the pejorative. In a 2013 article published in theJournal of Interpersonal Violence,University of Michigan researchers Michael Woodford, Alex Kulick and Perry Silverschanz, alongsideAppalachian State University professor Michael L. Howell, argued that the pejorative use of the word "gay" was amicroaggression.[46] They found that college-age men were more likely to repeat the word pejoratively if their friends said it, while they were less likely to say it if they had lesbian, gay or bisexual peers.[46] A 2019 study used data collected in a 2013 survey of cisgender LGBQ+ college students to evaluate the effects of microaggressions like "that's so gay" and "no homo."[47] It found that increased exposure to the phrase "that's so gay" was significantly associated with greater developmental challenge (a measure of academic stressors).[47] Research published in theJournal of Youth and Adolescence in 2021 finds that use of anti-gay banter among Midwestern middle and high school students such as "that's so gay" is perceived less negatively and more humorously if the person saying it is a friend.[48]
Parallels in other languages and cultures
The concept of a "gay identity" and the use of the termgay may not be used or understood the same way in non-Westernised cultures, since modes of sexuality may differ from those prevalent in the West.[49]
For example,two-spirit is a term used by someIndigenous people inthe United States andCanada to describe Indigenous people in their communities who do not conform to Western expressions of gender and sexuality. It functions as a modern,pan-Indian umbrella term, much like the use of queer or LGBTQ by non-Natives. Some Indigenous people identify as both two-spirit and gay.[50][51] For sometraditional Native Americans, who usually use terms in their own languages for these individuals rather than the Englishneologism, two-spirit is not interchangeable with the "LGBT Native American" or "gay Indian"[52]sexual andgender identity labels because it is a sacred, spiritual, and ceremonial role that is recognized and confirmed only by tribal elders of the two-spirit person's ceremonial community.[50]
TheGerman equivalent for "gay", "schwul", which isetymologically derived from "schwül" (hot, humid), also acquired the pejorative meaning within youth culture.[53]
^"The Great Social Evil".Archived from the original on 2 April 2016. Retrieved5 September 2012.Punch magazine, Volume 33, 1857, page 390. A stand-alone editorial cartoon, no accompanying article.
^Cocks, H. A. (2002). "'Sporty' Girls and 'Artistic' Boys: Friendship, Illicit Sex, and the British 'Companionship' Advertisement, 1913-1928".Journal of the History of Sexuality.11 (3):457–482.doi:10.1353/sex.2003.0008.PMID17396374.S2CID7018936.
^Selby Jr., Hubert "Last Exit To Brooklyn" NY: Grove Press, 1988 p. 23 copyright 1964
^Kosciw, J. G., Clark, C. M., & Menard, L. (2022). The 2021 National School Climate Survey: The experiences of LGBTQ+ youth in our nation's schools. New York: GLSEN.
^abHowell, Michael L.; Kulick, Alex; Silverschanz, Perry; Woodford, Michael R. (January 2013). ""That's so Gay" Heterosexual Male Undergraduates and the Perpetuation of Sexual Orientation Microagressions on Campus".Journal of Interpersonal Violence.28 (2):416–435.doi:10.1177/0886260512454719.PMID22929342.S2CID206562816.
^"A Spirit of Belonging, Inside and Out".The New York Times. 8 October 2006. Retrieved28 July 2016.'The elders will tell you the difference between a gay Indian and a Two-Spirit,' [Criddle] said, underscoring the idea that simply being gay and Indian does not make someone a Two-Spirit.
^Robert Sedlaczek, Roberta Baron:leet & leiwand. Das Lexikon der Jugendsprache, Echomedia, 2006,ISBN3-901761-49-7
Further reading
Cory, Donald Webster (1951).The Homosexual in America: A Subjective Approach. Greenberg. p. 107. Chapter 9 ("Take My Word For It") includes a valuable discussion of the term "gay.".
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