Etymology of Gay
I ran across this while doing research on the web. I had not heard this explanation before.
"gay" originally meant merry or happy--it's from the Old French word gai. But it's had a sexual meaning for over a hundred years. In the 19th century, prostitutes in England were said to dress "gaily." In that historical context, gay meant merry, or joyous, as the prostitutes dressed in a cheery fashion. Brothels were called "gay houses."
The word took on its homosexual connotation in the early 20th century in the United States. Within the hobo community homeless boys would look to an older man on the street, or a "gay cat," for survival skills. The relationship between the two companions was sometimes sexual, so the word "gay" took on its current meaning. By the 1920's homosexuals began using the word to describe each other. The earliest uncontested use of the word is in Noel Coward's 1929 musical "Bitter Sweet."
Today the word "gay" is widely used--both within the gay community and without--as a neutral way to describe someone who is sexually attracted to the same sex.
Courtesy of GURL
1 comment:
Attach a name to something as insignificant as sexual orientation and it'll evolve into an ideology more elaborate than you ever imagined.
Imagine if people who eat pork (forbidden by the Old Testament) christen themselves by some name, say "porcovores", we'd have a new identity and "culture" form in response to it. We'd have Kosher Constitutional amendments as well as coming out days:
"Mom, Dad. I like bacon."
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