How ‘Gay’ Came to Mean ‘Homosexual’

Contents:

• THE ORIGS OF THE WORD ‘GAY’
• GAY (ADJ.)
• HOW ‘GAY’ GOT S RABOW: WHAT ONCE MEANT MERRY IS NOW A BADGE OF INTY FOR HOMOSEXUALS HDTAN TIM | BYPOULOMI BANERJEE SEP 21, 2018 04:18 PM IST SHARE VIA COPY LK THE DICTNARY TRAC THE ORIG OF GAY TO THE FRENCH WORD GAI. BUT HOW DID SOMETHG THAT MEANT CHEERFUL BEE SYNONYMO WH HOMOSEXUALS, WHO HAVE HAD TO FIGHT LONG AND HARD FOR THEIR INTY? IF (ISDEVICEENABLED('SMALL') || ISDEVICEENABLED('MEDIUM') && !ADFREE) { (FUNCTN () { GOOGLETAG.DISPLAY('DIV-GPT-AD-1524814893923-0'); }); } ON THURSDAY, AS THE SUPREME COURT CRIMALISED HOMOSEXUALY, READG DOWN THE NTROVERSIAL BRISH-ERA SECTN 377 OF THE PENAL , MUMBAI-BASED ARNAB NANDY TOOK TO SOCIAL MEDIA TO EXPRS HIS JOY, AS MANY ACROSS THE UNTRY AND THE WORLD WERE DOG. “I AM SO GAY TODAY…” HE WROTE A G-OUT POST THAT HAS SCE GONE VIRAL. BUT WHILE NANDY’S CHOICE OF WORD WAS BANG ON THAT DAY, HOW DID A WORD THAT HAD ORIGALLY MEANT LIGHT-HEARTED, REEE OR CHEERFUL, BEE ASSOCIATED WH A MUNY WHOSE LIFE HAS BEEN OFTEN BEEN ANYTHG BUT? CARY GRANT AND KATHARE HEPBURN THE 1938 FILM BRGG UP BABY, WHERE GRANT ED THE WORD ‘GAY’ ON SCREEN. OPN IS DIVID THOUGH, ON WHETHER HE ED TO MEAN HOMOSEXUAL OR HAPPY AND CHEERFUL.(ALAMY STOCK PHOTO) THE OXFORD ENGLISH DICTNARY TRAC THE HISTORY OF THE WORD ‘GAY’ TO THE FRENCH WORD GAI. MERRIAM WEBSTER TAK FURTHER BACK TO A GERMANIC ORIG “AK TO THE OLD HIGH GERMAN GAHI” THAT MEANT “QUICK OR SUDN”. ACRDG TO BOTH DICTNARI, ENGLISH THE E OF ‘GAY’ TO MEAN HAPPY, EXCED, MERRY, REEE OR BRIGHT STARTED THE MIDDLE ENGLISH PERD THAT STRETCH BETWEEN THE 12TH AND THE 16TH CENTURY. ALL FOR AN INTY WHILE SOME BOOKS AND WEBS ON THE HISTORY OF THE GLOBAL HOMOSEXUAL MOVEMENT CLAIM THE WORD GAY WAS ED AS A SECRET BY HOMOSEXUALS TO INTIFY THEMSELV EVEN AS FAR BACK AS THE EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY, PROFSOR ASHLEY TELLIS SAYS “ WAS THE 1960S THAT THE WORD ME TO BE POPULARLY ASSOCIATED WH THE MUNY”. R RAJ RAO, WRER AND PROFSOR OF ENGLISH AT PUNE UNIVERSY, ADDS: “THE STONEWALL RTS (A SERI OF VLENT NONTATNS BETWEEN MEMBERS OF THE LGBT MUNY AND THE POLICE NEW YORK 1969) ARE THE BEGNG OF MOST GAY-RIGHTS MOVEMENTS THE WORLD. IT WAS AROUND THIS TIME THAT THE MUNY STARTED G THE WORD GAY TO INTIFY SELF. IN THE BEGNG, GAY WAS ALSO AN ACRONYM FOR ‘GOOD AS YOU’.” IN INDIA, WHILE TELLIS SAYS THE E OF THE WORD GAY TO MEAN HOMOSEXUALS STARTED THE 1970S AND ’80S WH INDIAN MEN WHO TRAVELLED TO THE WT AND ME BACK, RAO AND WRER HOSHANG MERCHANT SAY THE WORD STARTED GETTG ED HERE THE 1990S AFTER THE SETTG UP OF BOMBAY DOST, THE UNTRY’S FIRST LGBT MAGAZE, BY ACTIVIST ASHOK ROW KAVI. GLOBALLY, THE MUNY PREFERRED GAY TO HOMOSEXUAL, SAYS TELLIS, BEE THE LATTER HAD A NEGATIVE FEEL TO – WAS A MORE CLIL TERM, SUGGTIVE OF A MEDIL NDN. AS AN ARTICLE ON THE WEBSE OF THE NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICE MENTNS, WAS ONLY 1980 THAT HOMOSEXUALY WAS LETED OM THE DIAGNOSTIC AND STATISTIL MANUAL OF THE AMERIN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATN, TH CHANGG THE VIEW THAT WAS A BEHAVURAL DISORR. ““WHEREAS HOMOSEXUALY IS JT A WORD NOTG A SEXUAL PREFERENCE OR TENNCY AND ED ROGATORILY, GAY IS AN INTY. EVER SCE STONEWALL, SEXUAL POLICS HAD E TO PLAY AND INTIFYG AS GAY WAS A WAY FOR THE MUNY TO BE A PART OF THAT POLICS,” SAYS RAO. “IT WAS A SUBVERSN OF THE TABLISHED VOBULARY BY THE MUNY. THE SAME WAY THAT ‘QUEER’ WOULD BE ED, LATER ON,” HE ADDS. “WHILE THE NVENTNAL MEANG OF QUEER IS WEIRD, AND IS A DISCRIMATORY TERM SELF, THE MUNY HAS BEEN G AS AN INTY,” HE POTS OUT. THE LGBTQ HAVE THEIR OWN VOBULARY, ONE THAT OFTEN VARI OM CY TO CY, AND HAS TAKEN ON REGULAR WORDS THAT MEAN SOMETHG QUE DIFFERENT WHEN APPLIED TO THEMSELV OR ED WH THE MUNY, SAYS ASHOK ROW KAVI. “IN BOMBAY FOR EXAMPLE, THE LGBTQ MUNY THE WORD ‘GHODI’ TO MEAN A PLACLOTH POLICEMAN,” HE EXPLAS. A NEW USE
• MERRIAM WEBSTER: CHANGE THE PRIMARY FN OF GAY TO MEAN HOMOSEXUALMERRIAM WEBSTER: CHANGE THE PRIMARY FN OF GAY TO MEAN HOMOSEXUAL
• GAY (HOMOSEXUAL) AND GAY (HAPPY)

THE ORIGS OF THE WORD ‘GAY’

The word “gay” seems to have s origs around the 12th century England, rived om the Old French word ‘gai’, which turn was probably rived om a Germanic word, though that isn’t pletely known.

GAY (ADJ.)

Fast-forward to the 19th century and the word gay referred to a woman who was a prostute and a gay man was someone who slept wh a lot of women (ironilly enough), often prostut. In terms of the sexual meang of the word, a “gay man” no longer jt meant a man who had sex wh a lot of women, but now started to refer to men who had sex wh other men. Gay men themselv seem to have been behd the drivg thst for this new fn as they felt (and many still do), that “homosexual” is much too clil, soundg like a disorr.

HOW ‘GAY’ GOT S RABOW: WHAT ONCE MEANT MERRY IS NOW A BADGE OF INTY FOR HOMOSEXUALS HDTAN TIM | BYPOULOMI BANERJEE SEP 21, 2018 04:18 PM IST SHARE VIA COPY LK THE DICTNARY TRAC THE ORIG OF GAY TO THE FRENCH WORD GAI. BUT HOW DID SOMETHG THAT MEANT CHEERFUL BEE SYNONYMO WH HOMOSEXUALS, WHO HAVE HAD TO FIGHT LONG AND HARD FOR THEIR INTY? IF (ISDEVICEENABLED('SMALL') || ISDEVICEENABLED('MEDIUM') && !ADFREE) { (FUNCTN () { GOOGLETAG.DISPLAY('DIV-GPT-AD-1524814893923-0'); }); } ON THURSDAY, AS THE SUPREME COURT CRIMALISED HOMOSEXUALY, READG DOWN THE NTROVERSIAL BRISH-ERA SECTN 377 OF THE PENAL , MUMBAI-BASED ARNAB NANDY TOOK TO SOCIAL MEDIA TO EXPRS HIS JOY, AS MANY ACROSS THE UNTRY AND THE WORLD WERE DOG. “I AM SO GAY TODAY…” HE WROTE A G-OUT POST THAT HAS SCE GONE VIRAL. BUT WHILE NANDY’S CHOICE OF WORD WAS BANG ON THAT DAY, HOW DID A WORD THAT HAD ORIGALLY MEANT LIGHT-HEARTED, REEE OR CHEERFUL, BEE ASSOCIATED WH A MUNY WHOSE LIFE HAS BEEN OFTEN BEEN ANYTHG BUT? CARY GRANT AND KATHARE HEPBURN THE 1938 FILM BRGG UP BABY, WHERE GRANT ED THE WORD ‘GAY’ ON SCREEN. OPN IS DIVID THOUGH, ON WHETHER HE ED TO MEAN HOMOSEXUAL OR HAPPY AND CHEERFUL.(ALAMY STOCK PHOTO) THE OXFORD ENGLISH DICTNARY TRAC THE HISTORY OF THE WORD ‘GAY’ TO THE FRENCH WORD GAI. MERRIAM WEBSTER TAK FURTHER BACK TO A GERMANIC ORIG “AK TO THE OLD HIGH GERMAN GAHI” THAT MEANT “QUICK OR SUDN”. ACRDG TO BOTH DICTNARI, ENGLISH THE E OF ‘GAY’ TO MEAN HAPPY, EXCED, MERRY, REEE OR BRIGHT STARTED THE MIDDLE ENGLISH PERD THAT STRETCH BETWEEN THE 12TH AND THE 16TH CENTURY. ALL FOR AN INTY WHILE SOME BOOKS AND WEBS ON THE HISTORY OF THE GLOBAL HOMOSEXUAL MOVEMENT CLAIM THE WORD GAY WAS ED AS A SECRET BY HOMOSEXUALS TO INTIFY THEMSELV EVEN AS FAR BACK AS THE EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY, PROFSOR ASHLEY TELLIS SAYS “ WAS THE 1960S THAT THE WORD ME TO BE POPULARLY ASSOCIATED WH THE MUNY”. R RAJ RAO, WRER AND PROFSOR OF ENGLISH AT PUNE UNIVERSY, ADDS: “THE STONEWALL RTS (A SERI OF VLENT NONTATNS BETWEEN MEMBERS OF THE LGBT MUNY AND THE POLICE NEW YORK 1969) ARE THE BEGNG OF MOST GAY-RIGHTS MOVEMENTS THE WORLD. IT WAS AROUND THIS TIME THAT THE MUNY STARTED G THE WORD GAY TO INTIFY SELF. IN THE BEGNG, GAY WAS ALSO AN ACRONYM FOR ‘GOOD AS YOU’.” IN INDIA, WHILE TELLIS SAYS THE E OF THE WORD GAY TO MEAN HOMOSEXUALS STARTED THE 1970S AND ’80S WH INDIAN MEN WHO TRAVELLED TO THE WT AND ME BACK, RAO AND WRER HOSHANG MERCHANT SAY THE WORD STARTED GETTG ED HERE THE 1990S AFTER THE SETTG UP OF BOMBAY DOST, THE UNTRY’S FIRST LGBT MAGAZE, BY ACTIVIST ASHOK ROW KAVI. GLOBALLY, THE MUNY PREFERRED GAY TO HOMOSEXUAL, SAYS TELLIS, BEE THE LATTER HAD A NEGATIVE FEEL TO – WAS A MORE CLIL TERM, SUGGTIVE OF A MEDIL NDN. AS AN ARTICLE ON THE WEBSE OF THE NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICE MENTNS, WAS ONLY 1980 THAT HOMOSEXUALY WAS LETED OM THE DIAGNOSTIC AND STATISTIL MANUAL OF THE AMERIN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATN, TH CHANGG THE VIEW THAT WAS A BEHAVURAL DISORR. ““WHEREAS HOMOSEXUALY IS JT A WORD NOTG A SEXUAL PREFERENCE OR TENNCY AND ED ROGATORILY, GAY IS AN INTY. EVER SCE STONEWALL, SEXUAL POLICS HAD E TO PLAY AND INTIFYG AS GAY WAS A WAY FOR THE MUNY TO BE A PART OF THAT POLICS,” SAYS RAO. “IT WAS A SUBVERSN OF THE TABLISHED VOBULARY BY THE MUNY. THE SAME WAY THAT ‘QUEER’ WOULD BE ED, LATER ON,” HE ADDS. “WHILE THE NVENTNAL MEANG OF QUEER IS WEIRD, AND IS A DISCRIMATORY TERM SELF, THE MUNY HAS BEEN G AS AN INTY,” HE POTS OUT. THE LGBTQ HAVE THEIR OWN VOBULARY, ONE THAT OFTEN VARI OM CY TO CY, AND HAS TAKEN ON REGULAR WORDS THAT MEAN SOMETHG QUE DIFFERENT WHEN APPLIED TO THEMSELV OR ED WH THE MUNY, SAYS ASHOK ROW KAVI. “IN BOMBAY FOR EXAMPLE, THE LGBTQ MUNY THE WORD ‘GHODI’ TO MEAN A PLACLOTH POLICEMAN,” HE EXPLAS. A NEW USE

As such, was mon amongst the gay muny to refer to one another as “gay” s before this was a monly known fn (reportedly homosexual men were llg one another gay as early as the 1920s).

Although women uld still be lled gay if they were prostut as that meang had not yet 100% disappeared. Sce then, gay, meang homosexual male, has steadily driven out all the other fns that have floated about through time and of urse also has gradually begun supplementg the word ‘lbian’ as referrg to women who are homosexual. The Only Major League Baseball Player to Openly Adm He was Gay Durg His Career Also May Have “Invented” the High-Five.

The abstract noun ‘gaiety’ has somehow largely steered clear of havg any sort of sexual nnotatn as wh the word “gay”. Bee even mentng someone was a homosexual was so offensive at the time England, people who were thought to be gay were referred to as “sporty” wh girls and “artistic” for boys.

MERRIAM WEBSTER: CHANGE THE PRIMARY FN OF GAY TO MEAN HOMOSEXUALMERRIAM WEBSTER: CHANGE THE PRIMARY FN OF GAY TO MEAN HOMOSEXUAL

When another character asks about why he is wearg that, he rponds an ad-libbed le “Bee I jt went gay”.

GAY (HOMOSEXUAL) AND GAY (HAPPY)

It’s Pri Month and one of the most lourful words the English language – wh more makeovers than Madonna and more dramatic life stori than Liza Mnelli – is the word ‘gay’! Like every hero, ‘gay’ has an orig story, but even today, scholars are disagreement over the precise journey took to reach the level of fame (or famy) mands nowadays.

The prevailg theory is that ‘gay’ me om Old Germanic, origally soundg like ‘gahi’, which meant ‘fast’ or ‘quick. Sometime between the 11th and late 15th centuri, ‘gai’ crossed the English Channel and end up as ‘gay’, but kept s French meangs – ‘cheerful’, ‘happy’, ‘merry’, and ‘lively’. Gay would stubbornly clg to s ‘cheerful/merry/happy’ meang for over five hundred years until well to the mid-20th century.

Hence, a ‘gay man’ was a man addicted to sex who equented brothels (‘gay ho’) and nsorted wh ‘gay women’ (sex workers).