[78-L] Gay?

[David Lennick]

How about the magazine "Gay" which was on the newsstands in the mid 60s? But 
the word was in use long before that..Nan Blackstone in the 40s (maybe 
earlier). I can't remember if Judd Rees uses "gay" on "The King's a Queen at 
Heart" (1934).

dl

bruce78rpm at comcast.net wrote:
> 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 
> 
> ____________________________