Why is homosexuaity still news today? — Page 3

So if a person exclusively is attracted to people of their gender and is sexually attracted to nobody, you wouldn't think they are gay? Even if they identify as such?

Personally, I cringe a little when I hear "homosexual" because it is a word coined to describe a psychiatric illness. (Linguiats will also argue that it's a mangled creation, half from Greek and half from Latin.)

But I admit I've used the term myself. "Gay" seems to imply a certain level of political awareness, a level that doesn't apply to closeted men. I will usually refer to an openly gay man as gay, but a closeted one as "homosexual".

(I'm referring to men only here because women have the additional variations of lesbian and a number of other issues re nomenclature.)

But it's the medical connotation of "homosexuality" that bothers most people. Like I said, I'm not crazy about it, but I give a pass to people who use it. The objection is pretty academic.

Updated On: 2/7/15 at 06:13 PM

"So if a person exclusively is attracted to people of their gender and is sexually attracted to nobody, you wouldn't think they are gay? Even if they identify as such?"

Correct. I consider gay to be a non-clinical term, synonymous with homosexual that indicates sexual attraction. If they are not sexually attracted to the same sex I would not consider them gay or homosexual.

Now if they are sexually attracted to the same sex but choose to remain celibate, that's different. But if you're saying there is no sexual attraction at all, they can certainly identify themselves any way they want and I won't even blink, but I would not identify them as gay.

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Updated On: 2/7/15 at 07:22 PM