Gay vs. Lesbian.

• BobYoMeowMeow wrote on 2012-02-01 04:42
  from what the cat sees
  people label the males as gays while females as lesbians
• Cynic wrote on 2012-02-01 04:44

  Quote from RebeccaBlack;757823:

  Because it's easier to just use "lesbian" as a single word to describe gay women. If gay men could be described in one world like that, I'd use that for them, too.
  
  I don't think the word itself is really associated with porn, not anymore than "gay" is anyway. Some people just don't take lesbians seriously and/or think they're just faking it. That's more than likely to be the main problem.

  
  
  But why do you need an entirely different word when gay applies to both males and females? That's what makes no sense.
  
  There's no reason to differentiate when it equally applies to both sexes.
• RebeccaBlack wrote on 2012-02-01 04:53

  Quote from Cynic;757835:

  But why do you need an entirely different word when gay applies to both males and females? That's what makes no sense.
  
  There's no reason to differentiate when it equally applies to both sexes.

  
  Because it doesn't matter and gay men should have a word as well. There are no implications behind it and it just makes life easier to have simplified ways of saying the exact same things.
• Cynic wrote on 2012-02-01 04:56
  Dunno how creating a new word when there is already a perfectly acceptable word to describe homosexuality in both sexes is 'simplified', but whatever.
  
  If Chicks want to feel special because they created a new, unnecessary word for themselves, then more power to them.
• Hiccup wrote on 2012-02-01 10:02
  More people understand Gay as just being for guys though. Even if you use it referring to both genders. But I just use both.
• Phunkie wrote on 2012-02-02 02:42

  Quote from Cynic;757835:

  But why do you need an entirely different word when gay applies to both males and females? That's what makes no sense.
  
  There's no reason to differentiate when it equally applies to both sexes.

  
  
  Why do we need male or female? Why not just create one term for both genders?
  
  
  Because they are different.
  
  Stop making things so complicated and just accept them as they are.
• Selithia wrote on 2012-02-02 02:46
  Well there's always the societal bull that 'lesbians are hot and gay dudes are gross ew' which keeps it around, but i think since the basic term for both is 'homosexual', both gay AND lesbian are just slang-based technicalities.
  
  Plus the whole Isle of Lesbos thing so at least it's a historical/mythological reference or something. I assume.
• Okami wrote on 2012-02-02 03:03
  I personally use gay to describe a homosexual male and lesbian to refer to a female. That's how I've always heard people use it to so, yea.
• Maenad wrote on 2012-02-02 09:43

  Quote from Rydian;757685:

  the isle of Lesbos

  
  
  The Isle of what and where was I?
• TA wrote on 2012-02-02 15:04

  Quote from Araria;759765:

  The Isle of what and where was I?

  
  
  The word Lesbian is after the Isle of Lesbos, because of an ancient poet named Sappho - who happened to be lesbian (homosexual, not just residing in Lesbos).
• Zeo wrote on 2012-02-03 00:08
  It's like a slang... Gay is for homosexual men, while lesbian is for homosexual women.
  
  I use them both, depending on gender.
  
  Plus, I've only seen women used the term "lesbian" for homosexual women... Never even saw lesbian women call themselves "gay"..
• Milk wrote on 2012-02-03 01:06
  I use to use the word gay to describe both females & or males who were attracted by the same sex. But in middle/even some people in highschool called me stupid for it because they honestly though gay described only males & lesbians the females. :/ So in order to prevent stupid arguments like that i just started to use the word lesbian.
• Elena wrote on 2012-02-03 01:14
  Personally, I do call lesbians "Lesbians". If there was a term specifically for men, I'd use that, because men are men, and women are women. If there's a transsexual involved in the mix then I'd still consider them a man or a woman, depending on what they choose. "Gay" is like the general term, "human", and "lesbian" is like "female". Being lesbian won't automatically exclude one from the general category. There's nothing wrong with being specific.
• jasmine886 wrote on 2012-02-06 22:42
  personally i think 'lesbian' is a term favored by certain homosexual women as a way of differentiating them from homosexual males. many aren't fond of being lumped in with males in any capacity. remember the term 'wo-myn'?