[78-L] Gay?

[bruce78rpm at comcast.net]

you can't go by Wikipedia!!! anything in there can be corrupted and exploited on a whim by anyone who happens to be a wikipedia member and is prejudicial one way or the other. . That should be left to the so-called scholars and experts. What does Mr. Webster say? Can you find an encyclopedia or Websters dictionary written prior to the 1970's that gives any reference to the word Gay as meaning a Homosexual? Let's have some concrete, reliable and credible evidence. If you can show me that's fine, I will concede. 
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Weiner" <djwein at earthlink.net> 
To: "78-L Mail List" <78-l at klickitat.78online.com> 
Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2009 3:05:39 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern 
Subject: Re: [78-L] Gay? 

I'm not insinuating anything Bruce - check Wikipedia for a comprehensive use 
of the word through history, including a reference to the Astaire-Rogers 
film. Noel Coward's song "Green Carnations" from BITTERSWEET has an early 
"mainstream" use of the word in its latter-day meaning: 

"Pretty boys, witty boys, 
You may sneer 
At our disintegration. 
Haughty boys, naughty boys, 
Dear, dear, dear! 
Swooning with affectation... 
And as we are the reason 
For the "Nineties" being gay, 
We all wear a green carnation." 

Dave W. 


-----Original Message----- 
From: 78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com 
[mailto:78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com] On Behalf Of 
bruce78rpm at comcast.net 
Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2009 2:58 PM 
To: 78-L Mail List 
Subject: Re: [78-L] Gay? 

I object to this insinuation about the history of the use of the word. Look 
at this clip: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-xfaiAftJI There is no way on earth that 
Ginger was a lesbian, and the story line has nothing to do with gay people, 
and if that word was prominently used to refer to Homosexuals & Lesbians as 
Gays in 1934, then the play and the movie never would have taken on that 
Title. wouldn't you agree? 
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Weiner" <djwein at earthlink.net> 
To: "78-L Mail List" <78-l at klickitat.78online.com> 
Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2009 2:04:41 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern 
Subject: Re: [78-L] Gay? 

As someone who's gay AND homosexual, I don't know how you can say the word 
was "stolen" - it's been used in its "current" meaning for over a century in 

some circles - in the last half-century it has moved to the mainstream in 
that meaning. Aren't there hundreds of words out there with more than one 
meaning? (Like "blue" the color and "blue" the feeling?) And "homophobic" is 

not a fear of men in toto- it's a fear of gay men! 

Dave W. 

DAVID BURNHAM wrote: 
> Earl wrote: 
> 
> (I'm not using 
> "gay"--I'm gay, but not homosexual--an example of a word being stolen) 
> 
> In the old 78 recording of "My Old Kentucky Home", I'm sure Foster wasn't 
implying that in summer the African-Americans are homosexual. (I always try 
to include a reference to a 78 in any posting.) 
> 
> But talking about stolen words, doesn't "homophobic" really mean a fear of 

men? I'm really asking because I don't know - if it doesn't, what does? 
> 
> db 
> _______________________________________________ 
Actually, it was I who wrote that. What I'm objecting to the modern 
pilfering of the English language to supply euphemisms for certain 
practices that are frowned upon by some. Conversely, if I describe 
myself as "straight", that doesn't mean I'm not a homosexual, but that 
I'm honest. 

Have you noticed that people who live normal lives are often described 
in negative terms, e.g. non-drinker, non-believer, non-smoker, 
non-driver etc? 

Julian Vein 

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