R

'Gay' isn't new

Letters

I am writing in response to William T. Schneider's letter of July 18 in which he complains that the homosexual community has made use of the term "gay" in an inappropriate

manner.

Schneider's complaint betrays a lack of understanding of linguistic change and development. The fact is that a language changes constantly and irresistibly; no amount of complaining can keep a word from shifting in meaning. The notion that homosexuals have adopted it "at the expense of a fine word that has now become distorted in meaning" is just plain absurd. The term is just as free a word as it ever was. It has undergone what is known in linguistics 23 "semantic shift," "distortion."

not

Schneider may find it interesting that this is no recent change the term "gay" has been used in the homosexual subculture for the past 40-50 years. It is listed as a synonym for "homosexual" in "The American Heritage Dictionary off the English Language" (1971) and "Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary" (1972).

I am afraid that Schneider is unaware of the significance of the use of the world in homosexual circles. It is the only word which we, the homosexual community, can use that is free of the shading of hatred carried by such terms as "faggot." It is a word that we use to refer to ourselves with pride. If Schneider is so terribly upset by the homosexual connotations of "gay," I suggest be try one of the 40 or so other words

meaning "cheerful" listed in any abridged pocket thesaurus. The English language is big enough for both of us.

PETER ALAN BARROSSE Cleveland