This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 62.60.119.74 (talk) at 09:06, 6 August 2002 (Gay and happy. Also it is a girl's name.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 09:06, 6 August 2002 by 62.60.119.74 (talk) (Gay and happy. Also it is a girl's name.)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Originally meaning "joyous" or "glad," gay meant stylish or garish and has now come to refer to sexual orientations other than heterosexuality. However gay as in happy is still used, for instance in the joke...
Are you gay? I'm not even happy.
...and in the word 'gaiety'. It is also a girl's name. In reference to homosexuality the term can be used inclusively or exclusively. The inclusive meaning refers to both men and women who prefer sexual or romantic relationships with their own sex (see homosexuality). The exclusive meaning refers only to men who love men. Whether bisexuals are included in either of those meanings is a matter of debate (see bisexuality).
Some people don't like this change of meaning, but the word gay has had a sexual meaning since at least the nineteenth century -- in Victorian England, female prostitutes were considered to be "gay".
It has been claimed that "gay" was derived as an acronym for "Good As You", but this appears to be a folk etymology.
Related terms: Queer, homosexual, lesbian, lesbigay, LGB
See also: gay village, gay rights, political correctness, Queer culture