Traditionally, the term gay has referred to men. It has come to include lesbians, bisexuals, transgender, transexuals, etc. The word came from the Gay Liberation movement. A shortcut for including gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender people. The fear, intolerance, mistreatment, and oppression of homosexuality, bisexuality, lesbian women, gay men.
Most lesbians prefer the term lesbian because it gives gay women an identity independent from men.
There is a growing diversity of lesbian lifestyle and culture. Many lesbians self-identify as dykes. When someone tells other people that another person is gay. A term, loved by some gay people, hated by others, that reflects inclusion of gay, straight, transexual, transgender, bisexual, and questioning people. Sexual orientation is a continuum, not a set of absolutely different categories.