Gay used to mean happy or good as in "having a gay time". How did it get associated with liking people of the opposite sex? Gay people refer to hetrosexuals as "straights". The opposite of straight is "curly". Where did gay come from?
2006-12-10 10:59:57 · 3 answers · asked by Chic 6 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
I think you mean liking people of the same sex. Anyway it comes from the French theatrical term
Les Gais, who were men who played females. Homosexuals were using for some time before it came into general use. And there is nothing perverted about. A word is simply a word.
2006-12-10 11:25:34 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I'm not a homosexual, but I know some and I don't think there is any way out of that. I agree with you regarding the changing of definitions of words. This is the result of promotion and widespread use or obfuscation(s) Such things are put upon us by what I call widespread ignorance rather than the promotion of something new or forthcoming. The origin of the first obfuscation of the word 'gay' probably occurred underground then started popping up in newspapers as most other new words do. Our language is fueled by spoken words first then they spill over to written words and finally into dictionaries and such.
Sorry, I don't have time to research further. I hope this has been helpful
2006-12-10 19:27:44 · answer #2 · answered by Double O 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it's not "perverted"
2006-12-10 19:09:26 · answer #3 · answered by Sandie 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋