Are homosexual women considered "gay"?

[NNN0LHI]

I keep hearing the phrase "gay and lesbian community" on cable news. I have never used the word lesbian before. I have always called all gay people gay. Man or woman. Please excuse my ignorance for asking, but what is the deal here?

Don

[kixot]

1. To me they are.

No difference to me. What's good for the gay goose is fine for the gay gander. Gay is as gay does. Etc.

[adriennel]

2. yes

I've never understood this myself. except that the word origin of lesbian is more interesting than "gay".

[ursacorwin]

5. it's a cultural difference for me

i name myself queer, a dyke, and lover of women. i'm not a thoroughbred however, so i don't call myself a lesbian. "gay" can refer to the whole of homosexual/bi/queer/trannie/cross dressers and so on, so i like to be more specific. within my set of (all homosexual) friends, the men refer to themselves as gay, fags, and when we're really having fun, inverts.

[David__77]

3. It's a matter of self-description.

Many women prefer "lesbian." It's a question of the individual. I do think that "gay" mainly conjures up an image of a male homosexual person. So I understand preferring a lesbian instead. It's like the "African-American" versus "Black" thing...

[Paschall]

8. I think it's a matter of male dominance throughout English

The unspecified third person ("somebody") is--or was until about 35 years ago--always a "he." Today you see more people purposefully writing things like, "A young college graduate should always consult her financial advisor before purchasing a home."

Opting for a female-specific appellation, like dyke or lesbian, is a feminist choice.

And among feminist gay men it has always been important to specifically include women when referring to the queer community, hence "gay and lesbian." Or even better: "lesbian and gay." :-)

Personally, as a gay man, I never refer to homosexual women as gays. Lesbian is my term of choice.

[IronLionZion]

4. Ellen says she is gay not lesbian

[Paschall]

12. But isn't Ellen butch?

;-)

[AmericanDem]

15. Ellen is a MAN baby..

lil humor there. from that movie. the title slips my mind. :D

[nostamj]

6. earlier in the gay rights movement

there was sharper deliniation between men and women.

many of the women were, understandably and appropriately, aligned with the larger women's rights movement.

i think there's less of that now, but the language, nearly reflexive, remains.

it always seemed redundant to me, but, i'm a guy.

[NNN0LHI]

7. Thank you all for your answers. That is why I come to DU. To learn n/t

[Feanorcurufinwe]

9. Personally, I miss the days when you could say

"I'm feeling gay today" without giving the wrong impression. Oh, well, showing my age again...

[Mountainman]

10. Don we now our gay apparel fa la la, fa la la, la, la, la.

I love to sing that song to freepers! LOL

I can picture us putting on some gay apparel but I don't really know what it might be. Help me out here.

[nostamj]

11. oh please

anything from FULL LEATHER to HIGH DRAG

and everything, EVERYTHING in between.

the subgroup of 'gay' is the only group that encompasses ALL OTHER GROUPS (except str8s)

[indigo32]

13. personal preference I'd say

I consider myself "Gay" and a lesbian.

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

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[slinkerwink]

16. Since I'm bisexual, I consider myself "queer", not "gay"