Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site fortune.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!fortune!brower From: brower@fortune.UUCP (Richard Brower) Newsgroups: net.motss Subject: Re: gay?? really?? Message-ID: <3988@fortune.UUCP> Date: Mon, 13-Aug-84 19:10:24 EDT Article-I.D.: fortune.3988 Posted: Mon Aug 13 19:10:24 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 14-Aug-84 02:37:51 EDT References: <50600001@convex.UUCP> Organization: Fortune Systems, Redwood City, CA Lines: 29 > The word "gay" has been appropiated by the homosexual community. Prior > to that, it was often used with its old meaning: having or showing a > joyous mood. I object to the corruption of this word by the homosexual > movement. Why is "gay" (in the old sense of the word) about homosexuality? > > Marv Graham Well, actually, we were tired of all the 'straight' people using 'queer' (we are not so strange), faggot (derived from the bundling of 'gay' men into the bonfires used to burn witches to make a "foul enough flame"), sissy (although some of us have mannerisms that fit stereotypical 'feminine' roles, many of us do not), and other terms that do not describe us. Since the only term left is 'homosexual', which many people feel sounds too clinical (back to queer?), we took a word which many felt to describe us better... boy, do I know how to party and be 'gay'. Of interest may be the fact that nobody knows how long this term (i.e. gay) has been used. It was completely accepted and encouraged by the gays I met upon first coming out (~1970). At that time, however, we were the silent minority (although getting vocal quickly) and it was, therefore, less known in the world at large. One reason it was used then was so that gay people could talk to each other in straight environments, with 'gay' as a code word. Since it did not mean homo- sexual to straight people, we could use it without getting our heads beaten in. Unfortunately, it does not provide that level of protection anymore. Richard Brower Fortune Systems {ihnp4,ucbvax!amd,hpda,sri-unix,harpo}!fortune!brower