Homosexuality

**Gay** is an adjective referring to those with an enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction to people of the same gender. This is most commonly associated with men, as a gay woman *may* prefer to use the term "lesbian" instead. Queer and bisexual are also among the terms used for those who are attracted to members of the same gender. In a broader sense of the word, gay can also be used as an umbrella term to identify any LGBTQIA+ individual, though some note that doing so excludes other sexual orientations and gender identities and should thus be avoided.

"Gay" as an identity is defined by the attraction and self-identification as such rather than having had any sexual experience with people of the same gender. Thus, having had sexual intercourse with someone of the same gender does not make anyone gay by definition. There is not just one way to experience same-sex attraction, nor is there a set period in life to discover that you experience it. While some may know that they experience same-sex attraction from a young age, it can take others decades to figure it out or be comfortable enough with their identity to acknowledge it to themselves and others.

Being gay is also referred to as "homosexuality" and thus forms the counterpart of "heterosexuality", the sexual attraction to individuals of the opposite gender. However, controversy has arisen surrounding the use of the word "homosexuals" to refer to gay people, as it has been considered an outdated term that is derogatory and offensive to many lesbian and gay people due to its usage by anti-LGBTQIA+ individuals to imply that gay people are somehow diseased or psychologically/emotionally disordered.

## Etymology

The word "homosexuality" comes from the Greek *homos*, which means "the same".

The word "gay" has had many meanings over the years. Dating back to the 12th century, it came from the Old French word "gai", meaning "joyful, happy; pleasant, agreeably charming; forward, pert; light-colored" and was a commonly used term within literature.

It was not until the 1600s that the term took on a sexual meaning. By then, the "carefree" nature of the word became used to refer to people with unrestrained morals and prone to decadence and promiscuity; as such, a prostitute became known as a "gay woman", a womanizer as a "gay man", and a brothel as a "gay house".

This trend continued, as in the 1890s, the term "gey cat", which is a Scottish variant of gay, was used to refer to a "vagrant who offered sexual services to women or a young traveler who was new to the road and in the company of an older man." This marked one of the first times that "gay" was used to imply a same-gender relationship.

By the 1960s, gay men had taken to the term to refer to their own sexual identity, and by today's standards, it is the acceptable way to refer to homosexual people.

**Read more on lgbtqia.fandom.com.**

## Homosexual individuals on this wiki

Check out the category: Homosexual individuals.

Declan BlackburnHanna DechantMonique DelacourSiegfrida EiliantherSeamus FinniganAngelina JohnsonLucy PevensieAlbus PotterMedora RichetsRilian AgreadsTonks\*\*Tonks is non-binary but refers to themselves as a homosexual