# Is homosexual a derogatory term to gays? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 12, 2011, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-homosexual-a-derogatory-term-to-gays/581610 "2011-05-12T03:05:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-homosexual-a-derogatory-term-to-gays/581610/21 "2011-05-12T15:37:49Z")
One right-wing news aggregate site had a pretty hilarious blunder with their find-and-replace policy, turning sprinter Tyson Gay into [Tyson Homosexual](http://www.rightwingwatch.org/2008/06/the_dangers_of_1.html). ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-homosexual-a-derogatory-term-to-gays/581610/22 "2011-05-12T18:19:34Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I’ve heard it considered bad if it’s used as a noun. You say homosexual person. It’s similar to saying Jewish person instead of just Jew. In other words, “unnecessary”? It can certainly _sound_ offensive coming from the mouth of someone like the late, not-at-all-missed Jesse Helms, who could snarl _humma-SECK-shule_ and make it sound like the foulest, most obscene slur ever uttered. But it’s not an inherent property of the word, it’s just shit frosting being smeared on by a malicious chef. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-homosexual-a-derogatory-term-to-gays/581610/23 "2011-05-12T18:31:48Z")
Recently Hemant Mehta [commented](http://friendlyatheist.com/2011/04/18/the-kids-will-be-sondheimized/)on on the Illinois Family Institute’s awkward reluctance to use the word “gay,” rather than “homosexual.” > [@](#): > > Damn. Three sentences. Three uses of the word “homosexual.” It’s like Laurie Higgins was _struggling_ to find a synonym but just couldn’t bring herself to type the word “gay.” It seems to me like using the term “homosexual” isn’t necessarily bigoted, but bigots are known for their total avoidance of any other (more positive) term, so it may be picking up the connotation. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-homosexual-a-derogatory-term-to-gays/581610/24 "2011-05-13T01:36:20Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > That’s very weird. I’ve never heard anyone take offense to the term “homosexual.” +1. Most people - or so I thought - used the term “gay” because it’s one syllable. Any bigots use the same word(s) it’s just _how_ they say them. ETA: > [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > People of color is an umbrella term intended for all non-white racial and ethnic minorities, so not just limited to African Americans and Latinos. I actually love this term, it is very inclusive and emphasizes the shared experience of racism instead of dividing people into separate categories. This annoys me because it then these groups are shunted into categories as “different” and “needy” when what truly separates America is class and income, not race. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-homosexual-a-derogatory-term-to-gays/581610/25 "2011-05-13T06:35:03Z")
> [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](#): > > “gay” as an umbrella term for both genders. I wonder how long this is going to last. Using male second-person pronouns as umbrella terms for both genders has been quite out of fashion for decades now, going by what I see. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-homosexual-a-derogatory-term-to-gays/581610/26 "2011-05-13T06:48:53Z")
Hah. do you know what I take offense to? The idea that because someone is _gay_ they need to support _transgendered_ (one hot mess of a tranny!) or that because someone is _Latino_ they should be understanding of _blacks_ and such compartmentalization. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-homosexual-a-derogatory-term-to-gays/581610/27 "2011-05-13T23:57:48Z")
> [@Cubsfan](#): > > So I’m active duty military and recently went through the DADT repeal training. Nothing very interesting in there except one thing. Early on in the briefing it makes a point of letting us know, explicitly, that homosexual is considered a derogatory term amongst, well, homosexuals and that the preferred and correct terms are gay, lesbian and bisexual. “Homosexual” is perfectly appropriate in a medical or academic context, and I don’t think many people would consider it truly derogatory even in a casual context. However, it can seem awkward and in some situations may indicate that the speaker has problems with homosexuality. To grab an example from Google Scholar, there’s nothing weird about a scholarly article saying “A total of 375 homosexual males were studied to assess the dental findings, life-style, and risk factors during a 4-year period.” In this context it’s a correct, neutral technical term. But in a conversational remark like “My next-door neighbor is [a] homosexual” the term doesn’t seem so neutral. Again, I wouldn’t say it’s derogatory, but it seems to suggest at least slight discomfort with the neighbor’s sexual orientation. > [@](#): > > This was the first time I’ve ever heard this. Is this true? Are you offended or hurt by being referred to as homosexual vs. gay or lez? Im not asking which term is preferred, as I’m sure it’s gay/lez but are gays actively put off by being described as homosexual? “Lez” is most definitely _not_ preferred. It can in some cases be used humorously without causing offense, but it’s generally regarded as both juvenile and insulting. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-homosexual-a-derogatory-term-to-gays/581610/28 "2011-05-14T00:56:25Z")
What about the term sodomy/sodomite? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-homosexual-a-derogatory-term-to-gays/581610/29 "2011-05-14T01:11:40Z")
Wow, I would have never guessed that homosexual could be derogatory. Didn’t even realize it was becoming so. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-homosexual-a-derogatory-term-to-gays/581610/30 "2011-05-14T01:38:20Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > What about the term sodomy/sodomite? I have difficulty believing that even someone of your age can be so naive, **Qin**. The terms you mention stem from a story of mass murder by God, a story used as a justification for homophobia. _Sodomite_ is only more elegant a term than _faggot_; it is no less hateful. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-homosexual-a-derogatory-term-to-gays/581610/31 "2011-05-14T01:38:54Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > What about the term sodomy/sodomite? “Sodomite” has the advantage of sounding so archaic it usually inspires laughter. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-homosexual-a-derogatory-term-to-gays/581610/32 "2011-05-14T01:41:28Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > “Sodomite” has the advantage of sounding so archaic it usually inspires laughter. _Sodomite_ implies that being gay, or at least engaging in homosexual relations, should be a crime and is as perverted as having sex with an animal. Doesn’t seem very risible to me, but perhaps I left my sense of humor in the lair. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-homosexual-a-derogatory-term-to-gays/581610/33 "2011-05-14T01:46:02Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > What about the term sodomy/sodomite? Great if you’re going to a Bible Reading party with Carrie White’s ma. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-homosexual-a-derogatory-term-to-gays/581610/34 "2011-05-14T01:51:43Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > “Sodomite” has the advantage of sounding so archaic it usually inspires laughter. It sounds Aussie to me. “We’re happy little sodomites, as bright as bright can be…” ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-homosexual-a-derogatory-term-to-gays/581610/35 "2011-05-14T02:05:41Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I have difficulty believing that even someone of your age can be so naive, **Qin**. The terms you mention stem from a story of mass murder by God, a story used as a justification for homophobia. _Sodomite_ is only more elegant a term than _faggot_; it is no less hateful. I was being quasi-sarcastic. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-homosexual-a-derogatory-term-to-gays/581610/36 "2011-05-14T02:51:03Z")
I remember back when “gay” started to become more widespread, the 70’s I think it was, and there were radical queers who said that the word “homosexual” was at best incomplete, in that it defined a whole group of people strictly by a sex act, and that gay/queer people were so much more than that (or something like that, I’m sure I don’t have that quite right. Any radical queers on the board, please step in and correct me.) The other piece for me is that it implies (in my opinion, that is the forum we’re in, right?) a strict division between homo- and heterosexual. “Gay”, being a kind of umbrella term even if its coverage isn’t always welcomed by lesbians, tends to be broader than just “homosexual”. At least it seems to include a somewhat larger range on the scale towards bisexuality. Finally, I have to agree with those who say that, now, if someone uses the word “homosexual” in a non-clinical context, they are probably uncomfortable with the concept and also uncomfortable with using words like “gay”. After all, when I was growing up, only the word “homosexual” was used, and it was always used pejoratively (see the movie “The Detective” as a late example). Personally, I’m not offended, just cautious. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-homosexual-a-derogatory-term-to-gays/581610/37 "2011-05-14T04:30:20Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > The other piece for me is that it implies (in my opinion, that is the forum we’re in, right?) a strict division between homo- and heterosexual. “Gay”, being a kind of umbrella term even if its coverage isn’t always welcomed by lesbians, tends to be broader than just “homosexual”. At least it seems to include a somewhat larger range on the scale towards bisexuality. That’s kind of how I feel about gay versus homosexual. I identify as gay, because I’m sexually attracted to other men. I don’t identify as homosexual, because I’m also sexually attracted to women. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-homosexual-a-derogatory-term-to-gays/581610/38 "2011-05-14T04:35:02Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > “Sodomite” has the advantage of sounding so archaic it usually inspires laughter. Not as much laughter as “Gomorrahite.” ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-homosexual-a-derogatory-term-to-gays/581610/39 "2011-05-14T04:40:57Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > That’s kind of how I feel about gay versus homosexual. I identify as gay, because I’m sexually attracted to other men. I don’t identify as homosexual, because I’m also sexually attracted to women. I’m not at all attracted to women, but I still consider “homosexual” to be an adjective, describing the fact that I’m attracted to other men. But “gay” (noun or adjective) describes broader aspects of my sexuality . . . political, cultural, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2011, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-homosexual-a-derogatory-term-to-gays/581610/40 "2011-05-15T01:25:05Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I have difficulty believing that even someone of your age can be so naive, **Qin**. The terms you mention stem from a story of mass murder by God, a story used as a justification for homophobia. _Sodomite_ is only more elegant a term than _faggot_; it is no less hateful. How old is he? Qin, how old are you? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-homosexual-a-derogatory-term-to-gays/581610.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-homosexual-a-derogatory-term-to-gays/581610.md?page=3)