# “Gay” (Re: How did "gay" come to mean "homosexual"?) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [June 2, 2011, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-re-how-did-gay-come-to-mean-homosexual/584100 "2011-06-02T17:02:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-re-how-did-gay-come-to-mean-homosexual/584100/21 "2011-06-05T03:23:21Z")
> [@fishlegs](#): > > Forgive me if I am not posting this correctly… the format on this message board is confusing.. but there was a question asked concerning the origin of the term “gay” as relating to a male homosexual.. and I thought that this little known fact might shed some light on both the term gay, and also the term fag. > The Yiddish term FAYGALA: A male homosexual. (literally, little bird.) ..yup, pronounced fag gayla… maybe just a coincidence..but there it is. First, welcome to the Board. Hope your [other post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13879594&postcount=130) on the Board doesn’t get you canned. Can you give me any cite/source for the Yiddish _faygala_ being pronounced as _fag gayla_? I doubt it. According to Leo Rosten(RIP), it’s pronounce _FAY geh leh_. He would know. I doubt you do. Second–it’s possible that the Yiddish phrase is connected, but VERY unlikely. As to the “fag” connection, see [How did “faggot” get to mean “male homosexual”?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2112/how-did-faggot-get-to-mean-male-homosexual) ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-re-how-did-gay-come-to-mean-homosexual/584100/22 "2011-06-06T02:27:55Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Can you give me any cite/source for the Yiddish _faygala_ being pronounced as _fag gayla_? I doubt it. According to Leo Rosten(RIP), it’s pronounce _FAY geh leh_. He would know. I doubt you do. Rosten is quite correct. It’s the same vowel shift whereby German “schön” becomes Yiddish “shayn” (as in “Bei mir bist du…”). And the accent’s on the first syllable. The word is cognate with English “fowl”. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-re-how-did-gay-come-to-mean-homosexual/584100/23 "2011-06-06T13:36:20Z")
Moderator interjecteth: Actual Comment by Wheelz: > [@Wheelz](#): > > Not being snarky, I’m genuinely curious. It sounds a bit demeaning to my ears, but I’m not a gay, so what do I know? **samjones** : in post #14 above, you have changed **Wheelz** quote within quote marks. This is a Rules Violation: See: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=7697048#post7697048](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=7697048#post7697048) If you want to paraphrase someone, do it in quotation marks. Use of QUOTE tags are subject to the same rules as formal quotation in a research paper or article: you may not make such changes without the usual editing remarks (sic, …, square brackets, etc.) I’m issuing a formal Warning to be sure that you see this; it won’t go on your permanent record. You’ve only just joined, so I’m assuming ignorance as an excuse. and please read the other Rules while you’re at it so you don’t goof again. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-re-how-did-gay-come-to-mean-homosexual/584100/24 "2011-06-09T03:44:59Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > I think the Q means “questioning.” In other words, a person may be unsure of his sexuality, so the LGBTQ groups encourage those people to come along. No, it’s ‘queer.’ It basically means ‘other, not completely straight.’ It includes those who just aren’t sure, those who are in a relationship with a transperson that started while that person was one gender and is now another, those who are primarily attracted to transpeople, transpeople that formerly identified as gay, lesbian or bi and might now identify as straight, and polyandrous people, among others. ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-re-how-did-gay-come-to-mean-homosexual/584100/25 "2011-06-09T16:47:15Z")
The whole LGBT etc etc thing has always made me wonder if gays and lesbians, somewhere deep down, are a little resentful about the acronym expansion and what comes along with it. I mean they’re still working on basic civil rights and now all of a sudden there’s a distracting foofaraw over side issues. It reminds me of college lefty rallies to support divestment from South Africa…but here comes a speaker about Native American rights…and U.S. out of El Salvador…and what were we here for again? ADDED: I have asked gay and lesbian friends, and the response ranges from “no, it’s good” to “yes, it’s annoying,” but of course I have no way of telling what the greater mass of LG’s are thinking. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-re-how-did-gay-come-to-mean-homosexual/584100.md?page=1)