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 | Homosexuality, heterosexuality and bisexuality: These terms have been
used to refer either to:
During discussions of sexual orientation, a person may switch between these two meanings. This causes much confusion and misunderstanding; sometimes this is done intentionally. We recommend that the terms homosexual, heterosexual, and bisexual never be used in isolation, but always be identified as referring to either feeling or practices. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sexual orientation has been given many different meanings:
Many conservative Christians do not acknowledge the existence of a bisexual orientation, believing peoples feelings of attraction to be either purely heterosexual or homosexual. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gay has been a widely used synonym of "male homosexual." Its meaning is rapidly evolving to refer to both male and female homosexuals. Some people differentiate between homosexual and gay: homosexual is regarded as a sexual orientation; gay is a political identity -- i.e. an advocate for equal rights for persons of all sexual orientations. |
Origin of terms
| Homosexual: For most of recorded history, everyone was assumed to have a heterosexual orientation. There were no homosexuals and bisexuals -- only persons who had sex with members of the same sex. "Homosexual" was first used by a Karoly M. Kertbeny in private correspondence in 1868. It first appeared publicly in two anonymous German pamphlets published in 1869 which opposed extending a Prussian anti-sodomy law throughout all of the German Confederation. |
| Fag: This is generally used as a snarl word by heterosexuals to insult male
homosexuals. The word is also used with positive connotations by gays and
lesbians. The most common belief is that "fag" is derived from
the word "faggot." Faggots were sticks of wood that were used
to start a fire at a Witch burning. Some believed that a gay or lesbian person
would be burned, along with faggots, to help start the fire. Gradually, the term
was believed to be used to refer to the victim instead of the wood. This
etymology appears to be incorrect. Tracing the history of "faggot" back
through French and Latin to its Greek origin, it has always referred to a bundle of
sticks.
"Fag" was originally used to refer to something that nobody wanted, like the frayed end of a rope. Later it was used to describe menial work that nobody was willing to perform. Still later it was adopted in the British public school system. Students in the upper class would torment students in the junior grades. To be a "fag" meant that you were under the control of a senior student. Occasionally this meant that you would be forced to be the passive partner during anal intercourse. Finally, the term became associated with the act itself. |
| Gay: Some people believe that "gay" is an an acronym for "good
as you." This is a nice theory, but without foundation. "Gay" has had many different meanings in the past. It was
used as a synonym for happy by Chaucer in the 14th century. By
1637, it took on the meaning of a person leading a loose and immoral life.
By 1825, it was sometimes used to refer to female hookers. By the late 19th
century, it meant to be in good health or to be convalescent. A "gay
house" was a brothel. "Gay" was first used to refer to a male homosexual in the 1933 play "Young & Evil." Cary Grant used it in the 1938 movie "Bringing up Baby" to refer to a transvestite. Gershn Legman & G.V. Henry mentioned the term in their book Sexual Variations (1941). In recent years, it has been used to refer to lesbians as well as homosexual males. 1 |
Related essay:
| Meaning of the terms "homophobia" and "homophobic" |
Reference
- "Glossary for reading about witches, mid-wives and magic," at: http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~jup/witches/dictionary.html
- http://www.interlog.com/~alandp/2OriginHealing
- "Etymologies & World Origins: Letter G," at: http://www.wilton.net/etyma1.htm
- George Chauncey, "Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890-1940," Basic Books, (1995). A winner of the 1994 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for History. Read reviews or order this book safely from Amazon.com online book store
- Gregory Ward, "Studies on Gay & Lesbian language: A partial bibliography," at: http://www.msu.edu/~greenm14/outil/gaybib.html
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Copyright © 1999, 2000 & 2003.
Latest update: 2003-DEC-11
Author: B.A. Robinson
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