homosexuality

[Ronald Butters]

Some people have maintained that "homosexuality" tends to have at its semantic core 'male same-sex desire' and that women are excluded. Others have sometime suggested that "homosexuality" sounds "clinical," as if same-sex sexual preference were a disease.

As in most things, it is not easy to please everybody. There used to be : "Negroes" and "Colored People," but now there are African-Americans (except for those who find the hyphen insulting, or are from South Africa). Some "lesbians" like "dykes"; some "gay men" (now and in the 1930s) self-reference as "queer," etc.

Maybe we should just go back to the 1930s and employ the coy euphemism, "that way" (as in, "Is it true that Chris is that way?").

On Jan 29, 2011, at 8:39 AM, Jocelyn Limpert wrote:

> This was broadcast on NPR when talking about the military teaching their
> members how to behave when "Don't Ask Don't Tell" ends -- that they should
> use the terms "gay" and "lesbian."
>
> On Sat, Jan 29, 2011 at 8:24 AM, David Barnhart <dbarnhart at highlands.com>wrote:
>
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> -----------------------
>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       David Barnhart <dbarnhart at HIGHLANDS.COM>
>> Subject:      homosexuality
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> In the news this morning I heard that the word _homosexuality_ is to be
>> avoided as it carries negative connotations.
>>
>>
>>
>> DKB
>>
>>
>>
>> Barnhart at highlands.com
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>
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