108-559: Gay-friendly or LGBTQ-friendly places, policies, people, or institutions are those that are open and welcoming to gay or LGBTQ people. They typically aim to create an environment that is supportive, respectful, and non-judgmental towards the LGBTQ community . The term "gay-friendly" originated in the late 20th century in North America, as a byproduct of a gradual implementation of gay rights , greater acceptance of LGBTQ people in society, and
216-524: A club or a bar. And at home, the likelihood of LGBTQ women having children at home as non-LGBTQ women is equal. However, LGBTQ men are half as likely when compared with non-LGBTQ men to have children at home. Household incomes for sixteen percent of LGBTQ Americans range above $ 90,000 per year, in comparison with 21 percent of the overall adult population. However, a key difference is that those who identify as LGBTQ have fewer children collectively in comparison to heterosexual partners. Another factor at hand
324-416: A community of similar others from whom they learn about their identity and who reinforce and support that identity. Rather, LGB individuals are often raised in communities that are either ignorant of or openly hostile toward homosexuality." The British gay rights activist Peter Tatchell has argued that the term gay is merely a cultural expression which reflects the current status of homosexuality within
432-519: A girl while enslaved inside of a French brothel: I write to tell you it is a gay house ... Some captains came in the other night, and the mistress wanted us to sleep with them. The use of gay to mean "homosexual" was often an extension of its application to prostitution: a gay boy was a young man or boy serving male clients. Similarly, a gay cat was a young male apprenticed to an older hobo and commonly exchanging sex and other services for protection and tutelage. The application to homosexuality
540-411: A given society, and claiming that "Queer, gay, homosexual ... in the long view, they are all just temporary identities. One day, we will not need them at all." If a person engages in sexual activity with a partner of the same sex but does not self-identify as gay, terms such as ' closeted' , 'discreet', or ' bi-curious ' may apply. Conversely, a person may identify as gay without having had sex with
648-433: A key role in identity creation and self-presentation. Social networking sites allow for community building as well as anonymity, allowing people to engage as much or as little as they would like. The variety of social media platforms, including Facebook , TikTok , Tumblr , Twitter , and YouTube , have differing associated audiences, affordances and norms. These varying platforms allow for more inclusivity as members of
756-494: A light-hearted mockery or ridicule (e.g., equivalent to 'weak', 'unmanly', or ' lame '). The extent to which these usages still retain connotations of homosexuality has been debated and harshly criticized. The word gay arrived in English during the 12th century from Old French gai , most likely deriving ultimately from a Germanic source. In English, the word's primary meaning was "joyful", "carefree", "bright and showy", and
864-495: A long period of time. Dating back to the 1500s, city conditions such as apprenticeship labor relations and living arrangements, abundant student and artist activity, and hegemonic norms surrounding female societal status were typical in Venice and Florence, Italy. Under these circumstances, many open minded young people were attracted to these city settings. Consequently, an abundance of same-sex interactions began to take place. Many of
972-514: A much longer list of variations of homosexual or bisexual relationships which are clearly recognizable but may not be as popularly seen as the other symbols. Other symbols that relate to the gay community or gay pride include the gay-teen suicide awareness ribbon, AIDS awareness ribbon, labrys, and purple rhinoceros. In the fall of 1995, the Human Rights Campaign adopted a logo (yellow equal sign on deep blue square) that has become one of
1080-453: A popular variant that adds the letter Q for those who identify as queer or are questioning their sexual identity; LGBTQ has been recorded since 1996. Disagreement between what precise wording is best is still present in 2023. Some propose adding more letters to make the participation of those groups explicit. Detractors of this approach argue that adding letters implicitly excludes others or makes for worse branding. The gay community
1188-420: A relationship between the two. The team compared how 74 cisgender LGBTQ and 2,844 heterosexual respondents rated lifetime and daily experiences with discrimination such as not being hired for a job or being denied a bank loan, as well as feelings of perceived discrimination. Cisgender LGBTQ respondents reported higher rates of perceived discrimination than heterosexuals in every category related to discrimination,
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#17328984387481296-409: A same-sex partner. Possible choices include identifying as gay socially, while choosing to be celibate , or while anticipating a first homosexual experience. Further, a bisexual person might also identify as "gay" but others may consider gay and bisexual to be mutually exclusive . There are some who are drawn to the same sex but neither engage in sexual activity nor identify as gay; these could have
1404-685: A significant impact on the formation of the LGBTQ community and culture. Algorithmic exclusion occurs when exclusionary practices are reinforced by algorithms across technological landscapes, directly resulting in excluding marginalized identities. The exclusion of these identity representations causes identity insecurity for LGBTQ people, while further perpetuating cis-heteronormative identity discourse. LGBTQ users and allies have found methods of subverting algorithms that may suppress content in order to continue to build these online communities. According to Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc. and Marketresearch.com,
1512-435: A sudden!" Since this was a mainstream film at a time, when the use of the word to refer to cross-dressing (and, by extension, homosexuality) would still be unfamiliar to most film-goers, the line can also be interpreted to mean, "I just decided to do something frivolous." In 1950, the earliest reference found to date for the word gay as a self-described name for homosexuals came from Alfred A. Gross, executive secretary for
1620-430: A survey carried out in 2021, Gallup found that 7.1% of U.S. adults identify as "lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or something other than straight or heterosexual". Marketing towards the LGBTQ community was not always a strategy among advertisers. For the last three to four decades, Corporate America has created a market niche for the LGBTQ community. Three distinct phases define the marketing turnover: 1) shunning in
1728-496: A survey conducted for National Public Radio, at least one in five LGBTQ Americans have experienced discrimination in public because of their identity. This includes in housing, education, employment, and law enforcement. Furthermore, the report reveals that people of color in the LGBTQ community are twice more likely than white people in the LGBTQ community to experience discrimination, specifically in job applications and interactions with police. One-third of LGBTQ Americans believe that
1836-726: A survey conducted in 2012, younger Americans are more likely to identify as gay. Statistics continue to decrease with age, as adults between ages 18–29 are three times more likely to identify as LGBTQ than seniors older than 65. These statistics for the LGBTQ community are taken into account just as they are with other demographics to find trend patterns for specific products. Consumers who identify as LGBTQ are more likely to regularly engage in various activities as opposed to those who identify as heterosexual. According to Community Marketing, Inc., 90 percent of lesbians and 88 percent of gay men will dine out with friends regularly. And similarly, 31 percent of lesbians and 50 percent of gay men will visit
1944-799: A survey in 2019 to measure levels of acceptance of LGBTQ people around the globe. Researchers at the Williams Institute at UCLA released a report in 2021 after analyzing findings from different surveys to develop their own LGBTQ Global Acceptance Index (GAI). The Spartacus International Gay Guide publishes the Gay Travel Index, a ranking of gay-friendly countries. Points are added to countries for anti-discrimination legislation, equal marriage , partnership and adoption laws, and LGBT marketing . Meanwhile, points are subtracted for anti-LGBT laws, HIV travel restrictions, religious influence; and prosecution, murders, and death sentences. In 2024,
2052-583: A value in the community: Later, pink and indigo were removed from the flag, resulting in the present-day flag which was first presented at the 1979 Pride Parade. Other flags include the Victory over AIDS flag, the Leather Pride flag , and the Bear Pride flag . The lambda symbol was originally adopted by Gay Activists Alliance of New York in 1970 after they broke away from the larger Gay Liberation Front. Lambda
2160-684: A year after, he became president. In 1968, he announced that the Society would be changing their name to Homosexual Law Reform Society; "Homosexuals are now willing to fly under their own colors" (Stewart, 1968). In some parts of the world, partnership rights or marriage have been extended to same-sex couples. Advocates of same-sex marriage cite a range of benefits that are denied to people who cannot marry, including immigration, health care, inheritance and property rights, and other family obligations and protections, as reasons why marriage should be extended to same-sex couples. Opponents of same-sex marriage within
2268-548: Is currently a widespread ban of references in child-related entertainment, and when references do occur, they almost invariably generate controversy. In 1997, when American comedian Ellen DeGeneres came out of the closet on her popular sitcom, many sponsors, such as the Wendy's fast food chain, pulled their advertising. Also, a portion of the media has attempted to make the gay community included and publicly accepted with television shows such as Will & Grace or Queer Eye for
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#17328984387482376-452: Is frequently associated with certain symbols, especially the rainbow or rainbow flags. The Greek lambda symbol ("L" for liberation), triangles, ribbons, and gender symbols are also used as "gay acceptance" symbol. There are many types of flags to represent subdivisions in the gay community, but the most commonly recognized one is the rainbow flag . According to Gilbert Baker , creator of the commonly known rainbow flag, each color represents
2484-457: Is homosexual. The American Psychological Association defines sexual orientation as "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions to men, women, or both sexes," ranging "along a continuum, from exclusive attraction to the other sex to exclusive attraction to the same sex." Sexual orientation can also be "discussed in terms of three categories: heterosexual (having emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to members of
2592-591: Is perceived as excessively clinical, since the sexual orientation now commonly referred to as "homosexuality" was at that time a mental illness diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). In mid-20th century Britain, where male homosexuality was illegal until the Sexual Offences Act 1967 , to openly identify someone as homosexual was considered very offensive and an accusation of serious criminal activity. Additionally, none of
2700-638: Is possibly the first traceable published use of the word to refer to a homosexual relationship. According to Linda Wagner-Martin ( Favored Strangers: Gertrude Stein and her Family , 1995) the portrait "featured the sly repetition of the word gay, used with sexual intent for one of the first times in linguistic history", and Edmund Wilson (1951, quoted by James Mellow in Charmed Circle , 1974) agreed. For example: They were ... gay, they learned little things that are things in being gay, ... they were quite regularly gay. The word continued to be used with
2808-454: Is sometimes used to refer to individuals, as in "he is a gay" or "two gays were there too," although this may be perceived as derogatory. It was also used for comedic effect by the Little Britain character Dafydd Thomas. To avoid pejorative connotations, the adjective form can be used instead, e.g. "gay person" or "gay people". When used with a derisive attitude (e.g., "that was so gay"),
2916-460: Is that LGBTQ populations of color continue to face income barriers along with the rest of the race issues, so they will expectedly earn less and not be as affluent as predicted. An analysis of a Gallup survey shows detailed estimates that – during the years 2012 through 2014 – the metropolitan area with the highest percentage of LGBTQ community was San Francisco, California. The next highest were Portland, Oregon, and Austin, Texas. A 2019 survey of
3024-408: Is the diversity within the LGBTQ community as a representation of different sexual orientations , gender identities —as well as different ethnic, language, religious groups within the LGBTQ community. At the same time as LGBTQ and multiculturalism relation, may consider the inclusion of LGBTQ community into a larger multicultural model, as for example in universities, such multicultural model includes
3132-581: The Board of Governors over the negative use of the word by Chris Moyles advises that "caution on its use"; however, it acknowledges its common use among young people to mean "rubbish" or "lame". The BBC's ruling was heavily criticized by the Minister for Children, Kevin Brennan , who stated in response that "the casual use of homophobic language by mainstream radio DJs" is: "too often seen as harmless banter instead of
3240-920: The Empowering Spirits Foundation , and GLAAD advocate for LGBTQ people on a wide range of issues in the United States. There is also an International Lesbian and Gay Association . In 1947, when the United Kingdom adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), LGBTQ activists clung to its concept of equal, inalienable rights for all people, regardless of their race, gender, or sexual orientation. The declaration does not specifically mention gay rights, but discusses equality and freedom from discrimination. In 1962, Clark Polak joined The Janus Society in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Only
3348-534: The Holocaust . Not only did it represent Jews, but homosexuals who were killed because of German law. During the Holocaust, homosexuals were labeled with pink triangles to distinguish between them, Jews, regular prisoners, and political prisoners . The black triangle is similarly a symbol for females only to represent lesbian sisterhood. The pink and yellow triangle was used to label Jewish homosexuals. Gender symbols have
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3456-565: The LGBT , LGBTQ+ , LGBTQIA+ , or queer community ) is a loosely defined grouping of lesbian , gay , bisexual , transgender , and queer or questioning individuals united by a common culture and social movements . These communities generally celebrate pride , diversity , individuality , and sexuality . LGBTQ activists and sociologists see LGBTQ community-building as a counterweight to heterosexism , homophobia , biphobia , transphobia , sexualism , and conformist pressures that exist in
3564-483: The Spartacus Gay Travel Index featured a majority of Western European countries in the top 12 spots ( Denmark , Germany , Iceland , Malta , Norway , Portugal , Spain and Switzerland ), rounded out by Australia , Canada , New Zealand and Uruguay . The bottom 4 places went to Afghanistan , Chechnya , Iran and Saudi Arabia . Spartacus also publishes a Gay Travel Index for US states, listing
3672-457: The 17th. By the late 17th century, it had acquired the specific meaning of "addicted to pleasures and dissipations", an extension of its primary meaning of "carefree" implying "uninhibited by moral constraints". A gay woman was a prostitute , a gay man a womanizer , and a gay house a brothel . An example is a letter read to a London court in 1885 during the prosecution of brothel madam and procuress Mary Jeffries that had been written by
3780-495: The 1980s, 2) curiosity and fear in the 1990s, and 3) pursuit in the 2000s. Just recently, marketers have picked up the LGBTQ demographic. With a spike in same-sex marriage in 2014, marketers are figuring out new ways to tie in a person's sexual orientation to a product being sold. In efforts to attract members of the LGBTQ community to their products, market researchers are developing marketing methods that reach these new families. Advertising history has shown that when marketing to
3888-520: The 1980s, and especially in the late 1990s, the usage as a generic insult became common among young people. Use of "gay" in some circumstances continues to be considered a pejorative in present day. As recently as 2023, the American Psychological Association described language like "that's so gay" as heterosexist and heteronormative . The pejorative usage of the word "gay" has been criticized as homophobic . A 2006 BBC ruling by
3996-649: The 2006 buying power of United States gays and lesbians was approximately $ 660 billion and was then expected to exceed $ 835 billion by 2011. Gay consumers can be very loyal to specific brands, wishing to support companies that support the gay community and also provide equal rights for LGBTQ workers. In the UK, this buying power is sometimes abbreviated to "the pink pound ." According to an article by James Hipps, LGBTQ Americans are more likely to seek out companies that advertise to them and are willing to pay higher prices for premium products and services. This can be attributed to
4104-426: The 21st century, the word gay was recommended by major LGBTQ groups and style guides to describe people attracted to members of the same sex, although it is more commonly used to refer specifically to men. At about the same time, a new, pejorative use became prevalent in some parts of the world. Among younger speakers, the word has a meaning ranging from derision (e.g., equivalent to 'rubbish' or 'stupid') to
4212-602: The 50 states plus the District of Columbia with the same criteria as the country rankings. In 2024, the top spot went to New York while the bottom ten states were mainly the southern and the mountain states , with Oklahoma being the overall worst-ranked state for LGBT people. Notes Gay Gay is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to
4320-693: The George W. Henry Foundation, who said in the June 1950 issue of SIR magazine: "I have yet to meet a happy homosexual. They have a way of describing themselves as gay but the term is a misnomer. Those who are habitues of the bars frequented by others of the kind, are about the saddest people I've ever seen." By the mid-20th century, gay was well established in reference to hedonistic and uninhibited lifestyles and its antonym straight , which had long had connotations of seriousness, respectability, and conventionality, had now acquired specific connotations of heterosexuality. In
4428-697: The LGBT Movement Advancement Project termed community centers, which have services specific to those members of the LGBT community, as "LGBT community centers" in comprehensive studies of such centers around the United States . The initialism LGBT is intended to emphasize a diversity of sexuality and gender identity-based cultures. It may refer to anyone who is non-heterosexual or non- cisgender , instead of exclusively to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Recognize this inclusion as
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4536-521: The LGBTQ community have the agency to decide where to engage and how to self-present themselves. The existence of the LGBTQ community and discourse on social media platforms is essential to disrupt the reproduction of hegemonic cis-heteronormativity and represent the wide variety of identities that exist. Before its ban on adult content in 2018, Tumblr was a platform uniquely suited for sharing trans stories and building community. Mainstream social media platforms like TikTok have also been beneficial for
4644-555: The LGBTQ community include gay villages , LGBTQ rights organizations , LGBTQ employee groups at companies, LGBTQ student groups in schools and universities , and LGBT-affirming religious groups . LGBTQ communities may organize themselves into, or support, movements for civil rights promoting LGBTQ rights in various places around the world. At the same time, high-profile celebrities in the broader society may offer strong support to these organizations in certain locations; for example, LGBTQ advocate and entertainer Madonna stated, "I
4752-546: The LGBTQ community include Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Mardi Gras in Sydney, Australia, as well as the various other pride parades hosted in bigger cities around the world. In the same way in which LGBTQ community used the city backdrop to join socially, they were able to join forces politically as well. This new sense of collectivity provided somewhat of a safety net for individuals when voicing their demands for equal rights. In
4860-430: The LGBTQ community is still an important segment of consumer demographics because of the spending power and loyalty to brands that they have. Witeck-Combs Communications calculated the adult LGBTQ buying power at $ 830 billion for 2013. Same-sex partnered households spend slightly more than the average home on any given shopping trip. But, they also make more shopping trips compared to the non-LGBTQ households. On average,
4968-473: The LGBTQ community together and equal representation with other large minority groups such as African Americans in the United States . The two movements have much in common politically. Both are concerned with tolerance for real differences, diversity, minority status, and the invalidity of value judgments applied to different ways of life. Researchers have identified the emergence of gay and lesbian communities during several progressive time periods across
5076-497: The LGBTQ community. The LGBTQ community represented by a social component of the global community that is believed by many, including heterosexual allies, to be underrepresented in the area of civil rights . The current struggle of the gay community has been largely brought about by globalization. In the United States, World War II brought together many closeted rural men from around the nation and exposed them to more progressive attitudes in parts of Europe. Upon returning home after
5184-457: The LGBTQ community. When marketing towards the community, they may corner their target audience into an "alternative" lifestyle category that ultimately "others" the LGBTQ community. Sensitivity is important when marketing towards the community. When marketing towards the LGBTQ community, advertisers respect the same boundaries. Marketers also refer to LGBTQ as a single characteristic that makes an individual. Other areas can be targeted along with
5292-415: The LGBTQ segment such as race, age, culture, and income levels. Knowing the consumer gives these marketers power. Along with attempts to engage with the LGBTQ community, researchers have found gender disagreements among products with respective consumers. For instance, a gay male may want a more feminine product, whereas a lesbian female may be interested in a more masculine product. This does not hold for
5400-571: The Straight Guy . This increased publicity reflects the Coming out movement of the LGBTQ community. As more celebrities came out, more shows developed, such as the 2004 show The L Word . These depictions of the LGBTQ community have been controversial, but beneficial for the community. The increase in visibility of LGBTQ people allowed for the LGBTQ community to unite to organize and demand change, and it has also inspired many LGBTQ people to come out. In
5508-1211: The Two-Spirit and LGBTQ+ population in the Canadian city of Hamilton, Ontario , called Mapping the Void: Two-Spirit and LGBTQ+ Experiences in Hamilton showed that out of 906 respondents, when it came to sexual orientation, 48.9% identified as bisexual/pansexual, 21.6% identified as gay, 18.3% identified as lesbian, 4.9% identified as queer, and 6.3% identified as other (a category consisting of those who indicated they were asexual, heterosexual, or questioning, and those who gave no response for their sexual orientation). A 2019 survey of trans and non-binary people in Canada called Trans PULSE Canada showed that out of 2,873 respondents. When it came to sexual orientation, 13% identified as asexual, 28% identified as bisexual, 13% identified as gay, 15% identified as lesbian, 31% identified as pansexual, 8% identified as straight or heterosexual, 4% identified as two-spirit, and 9% identified as unsure or questioning. In
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#17328984387485616-481: The United States specifically, several key political events have taken place in urban contexts. Some of these include, but are not limited to: During and following these events, LGBTQ community subculture began to grow and stabilize into a nationwide phenomenon. Gay bars became more and more popular in large cities. For gays particularly, increasing numbers of cruising areas, public bath houses , and YMCAs in these urban spaces continued to welcome them to experience
5724-502: The United States, gay people are frequently used as a symbol of social decadence by celebrity evangelists and by organizations such as Focus on the Family . Many LGBTQ organizations exist to represent and defend the gay community. For example, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation in the United States and Stonewall in the UK work with the media to help portray fair and accurate images of
5832-636: The advertisement is directed towards them, gay men and women are more likely to have an interest in the product. This is an important factor and goal for marketers because it indicates future loyalty to the product or brand. LGBTQ individuals have faced a long history of discrimination. They've been labeled as mentally ill, faced forced attempts to change who they are, and experienced hate crimes and exclusion from jobs, homes, and public places. Survey studies show that instances of personal discrimination are common among LGBTQ community. This includes things like slurring, sexual harassment, and violence. According to
5940-422: The ambiguous line "he is so gay and fancy-free" attesting to the word's double meaning at that time. As late as 1970, the first episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show has the demonstrably straight Mary Richards ' neighbor Phyllis breezily declaiming that Mary is still "young and gay", but in an episode about two years later, Phyllis is told that her brother is "gay", which is immediately understood to mean that he
6048-456: The balls of Magic-City . Amsterdam and London have also been recognized as leading locations for LGBTQ community establishment. By the 1950s, these urban spaces were booming with gay venues such as bars and public saunas where community members could come together. Paris and London were particularly attracting to the lesbian population as platforms for not only socialization, but education as well. A few other urban occasions that are important to
6156-550: The bigger problem is based on laws, and government policies, and the rest believe that it is based on individual prejudice. Due to the experiences of discrimination in public, many LGBTQ Americans tries to avoid situations or places out of fear of discrimination, such as bathrooms, medical care, or calling the police. A survey by CAP shows that 25.2% of LGBTQ people experienced discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, and that these discriminations negatively affect their well-being and living environment. Due to
6264-409: The case of gay , other connotations of frivolousness and showiness in dress ("gay apparel") led to association with camp and effeminacy . This association no doubt helped the gradual narrowing in scope of the term towards its current dominant meaning, which was at first confined to subcultures. Gay was the preferred term since other terms, such as queer , were felt to be derogatory. Homosexual
6372-409: The connections formed then often led to the occurrence of casual romantic and sexual relationships, the prevalence of which increased quite rapidly over time until a point at which they became a subculture and community of their own. Literature and ballroom culture gradually made their way onto the scene and became integrated despite transgressive societal views. Perhaps the most well-known of these are
6480-510: The context of wedding-related services, citing religious or moral beliefs. In a 2001 study that examined possible root causes of mental disorders in lesbian , gay and bisexual people, Cochran and psychologist Vickie M. Mays , of the University of California , explored whether ongoing discrimination fuels anxiety , depression and other stress-related mental health problems among cisgender LGBTQ people. The authors found strong evidence of
6588-662: The current "homosexual". In the British comedy-drama film Light Up the Sky! (1960), directed by Lewis Gilbert , about the antics of a British Army searchlight squad during World War II, there is a scene in the mess hut where the character played by Benny Hill proposes an after-dinner toast. He begins, "I'd like to propose..." at which point a fellow diner interjects "Who to?", implying a proposal of marriage. The Benny Hill character responds, "Not to you for start, you ain't my type". He then adds in mock doubt, "Oh, I don't know, you're rather gay on
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#17328984387486696-543: The difference in spending with same-sex partnered home is 25 percent higher than the average United States household. According to the University of Maryland gay male partners earn $ 10,000 less on average compared to heterosexual men. However, partnered lesbians receive about $ 7,000 more a year than heterosexual married women. Hence, same-sex partners and heterosexual partners are about equal concerning consumer affluence. The LGBTQ community has been recognized for being one of
6804-482: The dominant meaning of "carefree", as evidenced by the title of The Gay Divorcee (1934), a musical film about a heterosexual couple. Bringing Up Baby (1938) was the first film to use the word gay in an apparent reference to homosexuality. In a scene in which Cary Grant 's character's clothes have been sent to the cleaners, he is forced to wear a woman's feather-trimmed robe. When another character asks about his robe, he responds, "Because I just went gay all of
6912-452: The early 1990s. While the movement had always included all LGBT people, the one-word unifying term in the 1950s through the early 1980s was gay (see Gay liberation ). Throughout the 1970s and '80s, a number of groups with lesbian members, and pro-feminist politics, preferred the more representative, lesbian and gay . By the early nineties, as more groups shifted to names based on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT), queer
7020-512: The efforts to raise awareness, stop using anti-LGBT language and safely intervene when they are present and anti-LGBT harassment and behavior occurs." Research has looked into the use and effect of the pejorative. In a 2013 article published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence , University of Michigan researchers Michael Woodford, Alex Kulick and Perry Silverschanz, alongside Appalachian State University professor Michael L. Howell, argued that
7128-407: The entire LGBTQ community, but the possibilities of these differences are far greater. In the past, gender was seen as fixed, and a congruent representation of an individual's sex. It is understood now that sex and gender are fluid separately. Researchers also noted that when evaluating products, a person's biological sex is as equal is a determinant as their self-concept. As a customer response, when
7236-408: The family, it was always the wife, the husband, and the children. But today, that is not necessarily the case. There could be families of two fathers or two mothers with one child or six children. Breaking away from the traditional family setting, marketing researchers notice the need to recognize these different family configurations. One area that marketers are subject to fall under is stereotyping
7344-924: The fear of discrimination, many LGBTQ people change their lives such as hiding their relationships, delaying health care, avoid social situations, etc. In research publish by UCLA School of Law, survey data showed that 29.8% of LGBTQ employees experienced workplace discrimination such as being fired or not hired. LGBTQ employees who are people of color were much more likely to report that they didn't get hired because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, compared to white LGBTQ employees. Transgender employees were more likely to face discrimination based on their LGBTQ identity compared to cisgender LGBTQ employees. Almost half (48.8%) of transgender employees experienced discrimination due to their LGBTQ identity, while only 27.8% of cisgender LGBTQ employees reported such experiences. In addition, over half (57.0%) of discriminated LGBTQ employees said their employer or co-workers indicated that
7452-421: The gay community argue that fighting to achieve these benefits by means of extending marriage rights to same-sex couples privatizes benefits (e.g., health care) that should be made available to people regardless of their relationship status. They further argue that the same-sex marriage movement within the gay community discriminates against families that are composed of three or more intimate partners. Opposition to
7560-636: The gay community. As companies are advertising more and more to the gay community, LGBTQ activists are using ad slogans to promote gay community views. Subaru marketed its Forester and Outback with the slogan "It's Not a Choice. It's the Way We're Built", which was later used in eight U.S. cities on streets or in gay rights events. Social media is often used as a platform for the LGBTQ community to congregate and share resources. Search engines and social networking sites provide numerous opportunities for LGBTQ people to connect with one another; additionally, they play
7668-481: The gay label for reasons other than shame or negative connotations. Writer Alan Bennett and fashion icon André Leon Talley are out and open queer men who reject being labeled gay, believing the gay label confines them. Starting in the mid-1980s in the United States, a conscious effort was underway within what was then commonly called the gay community , to add the term lesbian to the name of organizations that involved both male and female homosexuals, and to use
7776-450: The larger society. The term pride or sometimes gay pride expresses the LGBTQ community's identity and collective strength; pride parades provide both a prime example of the use and a demonstration of the general meaning of the term. The LGBTQ community is diverse in political affiliation . Not all people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender consider themselves part of the LGBTQ community. Groups that may be considered part of
7884-430: The largest consumers in travel. Travel includes annual trips, and sometimes even multiple annual trips. Annually, the LGBTQ community spends around $ 65 billion on travel, totaling 10 percent of the United States travel market. Many common travel factors play into LGBTQ travel decisions, but if there is a destination that is especially tailored to the LGBTQ community, then they are more likely to travel to those places. In
7992-412: The late 19th century, that meaning became increasingly common by the mid-20th century. In modern English , gay has come to be used as an adjective , and as a noun , referring to the community , practices and cultures associated with homosexuality. In the 1960s, gay became the word favored by homosexual men to describe their sexual orientation . By the end of the 20th century and beginning of
8100-417: The median household income compared to same-sex couples to opposite-sex couples, as they are twice as likely to have graduated from college, twice as likely to have an individual income over $ 60,000 and twice as likely to have a household income of $ 250,000 or more. Although many claims that the LGBTQ community is more affluent when compared to heterosexual consumers, research has proven that false. However,
8208-428: The message of gay-friendliness by offering travel to major gay destinations with a rainbow flag. Studies have shown that LGBT communities tend to favor gay-friendly businesses, even if the cost of a particular product or service is higher. Some Christian and Jewish religious denominations , as well as Christian churches and affirming Jewish synagogues , have LGBT-friendly programs. The Pew Research Center conducted
8316-506: The modern usage developed. The label gay was originally used purely as an adjective ("he is a gay man" or "he is gay"). The term has also been in use as a noun with the meaning "homosexual man" since the 1970s, most commonly in the plural for an unspecified group, as in "gays are opposed to that policy." This usage is somewhat common in the names of organizations such as Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) and Children of Lesbians And Gays Everywhere (COLAGE). It
8424-430: The most recognizable symbols of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. The logo can be spotted the world over and has become synonymous with the fight for equal rights for LGBTQ people. One of the most notable recent changes was made in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 8, 2017. They added two new stripes to the rainbow flag, one black and one brown. These were intended to highlight members of color within
8532-520: The offensive insult that it really represents. ... To ignore this problem is to collude in it. The blind eye to casual name-calling, looking the other way because it is the easy option, is simply intolerable." Shortly after the Moyles incident, a campaign against homophobia was launched in Britain under the slogan "homophobia is gay", playing on the double meaning of the word "gay" in youth culture, as well as
8640-409: The original meaning of the word being used in popular culture include the theme song to the 1960–1966 animated TV series The Flintstones , wherein viewers are assured that they will "have a gay old time." Similarly, the 1966 Herman's Hermits song " No Milk Today ", which became a Top 10 hit in the UK and a Top 40 hit in the U.S., included the lyric "No milk today, it was not always so; The company
8748-489: The other sex), gay/lesbian (having emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to members of one's own sex), and bisexual (having emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to both men and women)." According to Rosario, Schrimshaw, Hunter, Braun (2006), "the development of a lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) sexual identity is a complex and often difficult process. Unlike members of other minority groups (e.g., ethnic and racial minorities), most LGB individuals are not raised in
8856-454: The pejorative use of the word "gay" was a microaggression . They found that college-age men were more likely to repeat the word pejoratively if their friends said it, while they were less likely to say it if they had lesbian, gay or bisexual peers. A 2019 study used data collected in a 2013 survey of cisgender LGBQ college students to evaluate the effects of microaggressions like "that's so gay" and "no homo." It found that increased exposure to
8964-456: The phrase "that's so gay" was significantly associated with greater developmental challenge (a measure of academic stressors). Research published in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence in 2021 finds that use of anti-gay banter among Midwestern middle and high school students such as "that's so gay" is perceived less negatively and more humorously if the person saying it is a friend. LGBT community The LGBTQ community (also known as
9072-464: The popular perception that vocal homophobia is common among closeted homosexuals. The United States had its own popular campaign against the pejorative use of "gay" called Think B4 You Speak. It was created in 2008 in partnership with the Advertising Council, GLSEN, and Arnold NYC . This initiative created television, radio, print and web PSAs with goals "to motivate teens to become allies in
9180-629: The prostitute John Saul stated: "I occasionally do odd-jobs for different gay people." Well into the mid 20th century a middle-aged bachelor could be described as "gay", indicating that he was unattached and therefore free, without any implication of homosexuality. This usage could apply to women too. The British comic strip Jane , first published in the 1930s, described the adventures of Jane Gay . Far from implying homosexuality, it referred to her free-wheeling lifestyle with plenty of boyfriends (while also punning on Lady Jane Grey ). A passage from Gertrude Stein 's Miss Furr & Miss Skeene (1922)
9288-421: The quiet." By 1963, a new sense of the word gay was known well enough to be used by Albert Ellis in his book The Intelligent Woman's Guide to Man-Hunting . Similarly, Hubert Selby Jr. in his 1964 novel Last Exit to Brooklyn , could write that a character "took pride in being a homosexual by feeling intellectually and esthetically superior to those (especially women) who weren't gay...." Later examples of
9396-659: The recognition of LGBTQ people as a distinct consumer group for businesses. Many businesses now identify as gay-friendly, allowing for a more diversified employee and customer base. The Human Rights Campaign works to achieve equality for gays, lesbians, and other marginalized minorities, and publishes a list of companies in relation to issues concerning LGBT people. Companies that are noted for gay-friendly work environments include Dell and Coca-Cola . Companies such as R Family Vacations , Manspray, Volkswagen , Ginch Gonch, and numerous others offer niche products and services for gay customers. Others, such as LOT Polish Airlines sends
9504-445: The said culture . For example, the term "gay bar" describes the bar which either caters primarily to a homosexual male clientele or is otherwise part of homosexual male culture. Using it to describe an object, such as an item of clothing, suggests that it is particularly flamboyant, often on the verge of being gaudy and garish. This usage predates the association of the term with homosexuality but has acquired different connotations since
9612-617: The same-sex marriage movement from within the gay community should not be confused with opposition from outside that community. The contemporary lesbian and gay community has a growing and complex place in the American and Western European media. Lesbians and gay men are often portrayed inaccurately in television, films, and other media; the gay community is often portrayed as many stereotypes , such as gay men being portrayed as flamboyant and bold. Like other minority groups, these caricatures are intended to ridicule this marginalized group. There
9720-914: The team found. However, while gay youth are considered to be at higher risk for suicide, a literature review published in the journal Adolescence states, "Being gay in-and-of-itself is not the cause of the increase in suicide." Rather the review notes that the findings of previous studies suggested the,"...suicide attempts were significantly associated with psychosocial stressors, including gender nonconformity, early awareness of being gay, victimization, lack of support, school dropout, family problems, acquaintances' suicide attempts, homelessness, substance abuse, and other psychiatric disorders. Some of these stressors are also experienced by heterosexual adolescents, but they have been shown to be more prevalent among gay adolescents." Despite recent progress in LGBTQ rights, gay men continue to experience high rates of loneliness and depression after coming out. LGBTQ multiculturalism
9828-437: The term asexual applied, even though asexual generally can mean no attraction, or involve heterosexual attraction but no sexual activity. Some reject the term homosexual as an identity-label because they find it too clinical-sounding; they believe it is too focused on physical acts rather than romance or attraction, or too reminiscent of the era when homosexuality was considered a mental illness. Conversely, some reject
9936-567: The term gay as an identity-label because they perceive the cultural connotations to be undesirable or because of the negative connotations of the slang usage of the word. Style guides, like the following from the Associated Press , call for gay over homosexual : Gay : Used to describe men and women attracted to the same sex, though lesbian is the more common term for women. Preferred over homosexual except in clinical contexts or references to sexual activity. There are those who reject
10044-519: The terminology of gay and lesbian , lesbian/gay , or a similar phrase when referring to that community. Accordingly, organizations such as the National Gay Task Force became the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force . For many feminist lesbians, it was also important that lesbian be named first, to avoid the implication that women were secondary to men, or an afterthought. In the 1990s, this
10152-510: The title of the book and film The Gay Falcon (1941), which concerns a womanizing detective whose first name is "Gay". Similarly, Fred Gilbert and G. H. MacDermott 's music hall song of the 1880s, "Charlie Dilke Upset the Milk" – "Master Dilke upset the milk, when taking it home to Chelsea; the papers say that Charlie's gay, rather a wilful wag!" – referred to Sir Charles Dilke 's alleged heterosexual impropriety. Giving testimony in court in 1889,
10260-601: The trans community by creating spaces for folks to share resources and transition stories, normalizing trans identity. It has been found that access to LGBTQ content, peers, and community on search engines and social networking sites has allowed for identity acceptance and pride within LGBTQ community. Algorithms and evaluative criteria control what content is recommended to users on search engines and social networking site. These can reproduce stigmatizing discourses that are dominant within society, and result in negatively impacting LGBTQ self-perception. Social media algorithms have
10368-471: The unfair treatment was linked to religious beliefs. In the U.S., certain states have passed laws permitting child welfare agencies to deny services to LGBTQ community based on religious or moral beliefs. Similarly, some states allow healthcare providers to refuse certain procedures or medications for LGBTQ community on religious or moral grounds. Additionally, certain states permit businesses to decline services to LGBTQ people or same-sex couples, particularly in
10476-458: The war, many of these men decided to band together in cities rather than return to their small towns. Fledgling communities would soon become political in the beginning of the gay rights movement, including monumental incidents at places like Stonewall . Today, many large cities have gay and lesbian community centers. Many universities and colleges across the world have support centers for LGBTQ students. The Human Rights Campaign , Lambda Legal ,
10584-448: The word gay is pejorative . Though retaining other meanings, its use among young people as a term of disparagement is common; 97 percent of American LGBTQ middle and high school students reported hearing its negative use as of 2021. This pejorative usage has its origins in the late 1970s, with the word gaining a pejorative sense by association with the previous meaning: homosexuality was seen as inferior or undesirable. Beginning in
10692-556: The word began to be used to mean specifically "homosexual", although it had earlier acquired sexual connotations. The derived abstract noun gaiety remains largely free of sexual connotations and has, in the past, been used in the names of places of entertainment, such as the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin. The word may have started to acquire associations of sexual immorality as early as the 14th century, but had certainly acquired them by
10800-452: The word was very commonly used with this meaning in speech and literature. For example, the optimistic 1890s are still often referred to as the Gay Nineties . The title of the 1938 French ballet Gaîté Parisienne ("Parisian Gaiety"), which became the 1941 Warner Brothers movie, The Gay Parisian , also illustrates this connotation. It was apparently not until the 20th century that
10908-419: The words describing any aspect of homosexuality were considered suitable for polite society. Consequently, a number of euphemisms were used to hint at suspected homosexuality. Examples include "sporty" girls and "artistic" boys, all with the stress deliberately on the otherwise completely innocent adjective. The 1960s marked the transition in the predominant meaning of the word gay from that of "carefree" to
11016-518: The world including: the Renaissance, Enlightenment, and modern Westernization. Depending on geographic location, some of these communities experienced more opposition to their existence than others; nonetheless, they began to permeate society both socially and politically. City spaces in Early Modern Europe were host to a wealth of gay activity; however, these scenes remained semi-secretive for
11124-414: Was also an extension of the word's sexualized connotation of "carefree and uninhibited", which implied a willingness to disregard conventional or respectable sexual mores . Such usage, documented as early as the 1920s, was likely present before the 20th century, although it was initially more commonly used to imply heterosexually unconstrained lifestyles, as in the once-common phrase " gay Lothario ", or in
11232-422: Was also increasingly reclaimed as a one-word alternative to the ever-lengthening string of initials, especially when used by radical political groups, some of which had been using "queer" since the '80s. The initialism, as well as common variants such as LGBTQ , have been adopted into the mainstream in the 1990s as an umbrella term for use when labeling topics about sexuality and gender identity . For example,
11340-421: Was asked to perform at many Pride events around the world — but I would never, ever turn down New York City ". LGBT , or GLBT , is an initialism that stands for lesbian , gay , bisexual , and transgender . In use since the 1990s, the term is an adaptation of the initialism LGB , which was used to replace the term gay – when referring to the community as a whole – beginning in various forms largely in
11448-580: Was chosen because people might confuse it for a college symbol and not recognize it as a gay community symbol unless one was actually involved in the community. "Back in December of 1974, the lambda was officially declared the international symbol for gay and lesbian rights by the International Gay Rights Congress in Edinburgh, Scotland." The triangle became a symbol for the gay community after
11556-633: Was followed by a similar effort to include terminology specifically including bisexual, transgender , intersex , and other people, reflecting the intra-community debate about the inclusion of these other sexual minorities as part of the same movement. Consequently, the portmanteau les/bi/gay has sometimes been used, and initialisms such as LGBTQ , LGBTQ , LGBTQI , and others have come into common use by such organizations, and most news organizations have formally adopted some such variation. The term gay can also be used as an adjective to describe things related to homosexual men, or things which are part of
11664-484: Was gay , we'd turn night into day." In June 1967, the headline of the review of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album in the British daily newspaper The Times stated, "The Beatles revive hopes of progress in pop music with their gay new LP". The same year, The Kinks recorded " David Watts ", which is about a schoolmate of Ray Davies, but is named after a homosexual concert promoter they knew, with
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