When has "gay" been homosexual?

[Le fishe au chocolat]

That makes no points at all.
"Gay" means happy, and we'll all feel gay when Johnny comes marching home.

[RaccoonBiceps.♡]

Let's be gay together.

[Original Cast Recording]

Probably around the same time as "fop" and "dandy". At some point the euphemism becomes more prevalent than the original usage.

[Funky Monk]

When did water become H2O?

[Le fishe au chocolat]

Origineel geplaatst door Funky Monk:

When did water become H2O?

Science didn't point out how being "gay" was homosexual.

[oréo基特维兹.]

it is not about why, it is more about for what. since when rainbow means Joy.

[MeowDread]

since people started using gay as a synonym for homosexual

[Tonepoet]

The Online Etymology Dictionary gives a detailed history of the word[www.etymonline.com] and the history of it seems to make sense. I mean, it's a bit historically revisionist suggest that the pejorative use of the word by teens starting in the 2000s isn't referencing sexuality, but that's besides the point.

In summary the word had a sense of immorality to it since the 1600s. By the 1890s it started being used in a sententious manner and they words "gay house" started being used in reference to brothels. A brothel would make its customers feel pleasure so I guess that makes sense.

By the 1920s homosexual men started referring to themselves as gay, possibly as a euphemistic codeword to avoid getting themselves in trouble, then 1940s it starts appearing in psychological texts, likely from homosexual men who confided their secrets to their therapists and here we are today where the connotation has grown so strong, it seems almost disingenuous to use it any other way, especially when we have plenty of other words that get the point across.

[Le fishe au chocolat]

Origineel geplaatst door Tonepoet:

The Online Etymology Dictionary gives a detailed history of the word[www.etymonline.com] and the history of it seems to make sense. I mean, it's a bit historically revisionist suggest that the deleterious use of the word by teens starting in the 2000s isn't referencing sexuality, but that's besides the point.

In summary the word had a sense of immorality to it since the 1600s. By the 1890s it started being used in a sententious manner and they words "gay house" started being used in reference to brothels. A brothel would make its customers feel pleasure so I guess that makes sense.

By the 1920s homosexual men started referring to themselves as gay, possibly as a euphemistic codeword to avoid getting themselves in trouble, then 1940s it starts appearing in psychological texts, likely from homosexual men who confided their secrets to their therapists and here we are today where the connotation has grown so strong, it seems almost disingenuous to use it any other way, especially when we have plenty of other words that get the point across.

I see, but if there were no Internet, I think the most part of the English speaking world would still use "gay" as happy.

Btw people shouldn't claim an existed word for their problem as well. Just create one for it.

[De Hollandse Ezel]

gay used to mean joyfull starting in the 12th century.

in the late 19th century is was already sometimes used in a sexual setting but it meaning remained primarely "merry, jolly, happy" until the 1960s.. as it was heavely used by activists..
since than the use of gay in its original meaning has dropped of quickly and essentially has being stopped being used as such since the 70s.

[Funky Monk]

Origineel geplaatst door JDON MY SOUL:

Origineel geplaatst door Tonepoet:

The Online Etymology Dictionary gives a detailed history of the word[www.etymonline.com] and the history of it seems to make sense. I mean, it's a bit historically revisionist suggest that the deleterious use of the word by teens starting in the 2000s isn't referencing sexuality, but that's besides the point.

In summary the word had a sense of immorality to it since the 1600s. By the 1890s it started being used in a sententious manner and they words "gay house" started being used in reference to brothels. A brothel would make its customers feel pleasure so I guess that makes sense.

By the 1920s homosexual men started referring to themselves as gay, possibly as a euphemistic codeword to avoid getting themselves in trouble, then 1940s it starts appearing in psychological texts, likely from homosexual men who confided their secrets to their therapists and here we are today where the connotation has grown so strong, it seems almost disingenuous to use it any other way, especially when we have plenty of other words that get the point across.

I see, but if there were no Internet, I think the most part of the English speaking world would still use "gay" as happy.

Btw people shouldn't claim an existed word for their problem as well. Just create one for it.

But the internet exists, and here we are today.

[Le fishe au chocolat]

Origineel geplaatst door Funky Monk:

Origineel geplaatst door JDON MY SOUL:

I see, but if there were no Internet, I think the most part of the English speaking world would still use "gay" as happy.

Btw people shouldn't claim an existed word for their problem as well. Just create one for it.

But the internet exists, and here we are today.

How sad it is.

Some day "happy" will be claimed for a group's problem, and nobody will be happy anymore.

[Original Cast Recording]

The Flintstones theme song uses the word without any apparent irony. That doesn't mean anything. Eventually more people used the word one way than the other way.

[Funky Monk]

Origineel geplaatst door JDON MY SOUL:

Origineel geplaatst door Funky Monk:

But the internet exists, and here we are today.

How sad it is.

Some day "happy" will be claimed for a group's problem, and nobody will be happy anymore.

Considering how language evolves, humans will always find a way to say "Happy"

[MeowDread]

Origineel geplaatst door JDON MY SOUL:

Origineel geplaatst door Funky Monk:

But the internet exists, and here we are today.

How sad it is.

Some day "happy" will be claimed for a group's problem, and nobody will be happy anymore.

Is the group in the room with us right now?

[Kiryn]

Shifting language and appropriation.


(similarly, there's an English word for a bundle of sticks, generally to burn in a fire. Six letters, starts with an F. You can see it in books like the Lord of the Rings. Brits also use the shortened 3-letter version as a reference to cigarettes But for a while now, it's a slur against gay people. Language and usage change.

Especially when groups go out of their way to grab words and reframe them into 'bad' things, which happens a lot this past decade with hate groups grabbing words that were neutral and turning them into codewords for their bigotry. Ditto with symbols. You go along living your life, and then suddenly discover that the "Ok" hand symbol now means some hate crap to a subset of awful people, and they've spread that meaning to a wider audience. Etc, etc, etc.)