Is ‘Homosexual’ still a PC term?

HomoSEXual is about being attracted to the same SEX. It's not homogenderal.

I'm fine with it because it's a simple statement of fact. If "queer," which was considered a pejorative (and I still think it is) is okay, why not "homosexual"?

[quote]I’m surprised the T hasn’t come for it.

[bold]ENOUGH[/bold]

Agree, R3. Fuck off, OP.

I have seen a couple of people (online, of course) claim that it's offensive because it's a term that was used by religious groups to denigrate homosexuals or a term used to look down on us, but I've never experienced that in real life. It seems a pretty standard, clinical term, I don't see why anyone would have a problem with it.

I think it describes “Quislings.” For example people who have no gay (or LGBT) identity at all beyond what they do in bed. In other words they are “takers” with no sense of community within them. This seems to be mostly Caucasians who are Republicants who say they absolutely have no connection whatsoever with a disabled Black lesbian in a wheelchair on SSI who has children. I’ve certainly met the exact opposite who feel the same way: they want nothing to do with anyone who has anything to do with White men, other similar demographics. Unfortunately, I think this describes many people. It is a reality. I understand this is my opinion only. I usually want nothing to do with people like this.

R6 sounds like a headache.

Apparently we’re not PC anymore 🙄

I think that R7 is the same way. It is a headache to deal with R7. I want nothing to do with R7, who feel this way.

I don't care what you call me...

The trans-queerios hate the term homosexual OP precisely because it's a direct description of a person who is exclusively same-sex attracted. They want much more convoluted language and vague meanings that they can manipulate.

This is how the LGBTQIA Resource Center Glossary of the Student Center at UC Davis defines homosexuality. Almost all American universities and their student centres define homosexuality in this way:

[quote]Homosexual/Homosexuality: An outdated term to describe a sexual orientation in which a person feels physically and emotionally attracted to people of the same gender. Historically, it was a term used to pathologize gay and lesbian people.

Here's the LGBTQ glossary at Johns Hopkins trying to demean the word homosexual so that we homosexuals have no words that we can use to describe ourselves:

[quote]Homosexual: The clinical term, coined in the field of psychology, for people with a same-sex sexual attraction. The word is often associated with the idea that same-sex attractions are a mental disorder, and is therefore offensive to some people.

This is how they define lesbian:

[quote]Lesbian [sexual orientation]: A non-man attracted to non-men. While past definitions refer to ‘lesbian’ as a woman who is emotionally, romantically, and/or sexually attracted to other women, this updated definition includes non-binary people who may also identify with the label.

It's not entirely offensive but it is very clinical. It's use to describe sexual behavior is fine, but applying it to a person or people ("a homosexual male," "homosexual couple," etc.) is offensive. So is "homosexual marriage." Same-sex attracted people usually prefer "gay" tomrefer to themselves. See also "Negro."

[quote]trying to demean the word homosexual so that we homosexuals have no words that we can use to describe ourselves:

I don't know a single person who prefers to be called "homosexual." The preferred term is "gay." In a medical setting, "same-sex attracted" is also an option.

A look, another stealth transphobia thread.

OP I am out of FFs.

I’ll be back tomorrow

R14 I agree. The word isn't offensive in itself, but in 2022, I find the only people who use it tend to do so negatively.

It's often because they don't like the word "gay" to mean same sex attraction because they see the word as too positive.

I like to use it to describe myself precisely for the reason that it categorically excludes any of the letters after the LG in new-wave of arriviste hangers-on in the silly moniker that is LGBTQ2S+

R18 You can say gay and still exclude all those letters.

Just because 2 of you exist does not mean you rewrite the social order. That’s a you problem.

Let’s reclaim “homosexual”.

I prefer it to “queer”.

R13/R14, I despise the word gay. The only word worse to me is queer. I much prefer homosexual. It's entirely inoffensive, except that I do partly agree with what Gore Vidal said: that a homosexual is an adjective to describe a form of sex, not a noun to describe a person. But since heterosexuals are fine with being called heterosexuals, homosexuals (and lesbians?) are supposed to have a problem with what they're called? Why? What I like about the word is the clincal aspect. There's no inherent judgment in the word.

The PC term is Nancy boy.

"same-sex attracted"

How is that acceptable, R14? Some would argue the word "attracted" is like "preferred" (as in preference) when it should be "oriented."

Certain Christians use the word homosexual to label a lifestyle that can be abandoned through prayer.

What is the material difference between “oriented” and “attracted”? Jesus Christ.

Those neo-definitions at R11 and R12 are abhorrent and must be resisted no matter what.

I like the idea of using ‘homosexual’ in the way that conservative religious people used it in the 70s and 80s. THAT is the kind of terminology that should be reclaimed, as there is nothing inherently offensive about it. QUEER is offensive.

R26, I was actually kidding--my point being trading one synonymous verb form over another is meaningless. I agree homosexual is a word we should reclaim from the bigots. R25's link suggests why we should reclaim it.

I've always thought of myself as homosexual; never gay. To hell with all that alphabet soup crap.

I have met so many sick people (pride, gay events etc) that claimed that "gay is an umbrella term". (or that "yes gay is also queer" or "spectrum")

I still use gay (never other repulsive words that some gays like to use for themselves) along with homosexual, same-sex-attracted to be clear - and make alphabet/umbrella/spectrum loons fuck off - because loons have destroyed this normal word.

Like perfectly stated above on the university websites, along with other "authority" institutions/orgs: "gay means same-[bold]gender [/bold]-attraction"

Same here, R28.

R25, who cares? I don’t give them any power. They can say whatever they want, I ain’t listening.

^ I agree. Hmm Christians I know have mostly used the word gay to denounce us.

The word gay is easily swallowed pablum for the heterosexuals; the word homosexual tells it like it is, and even more rewardingly, scares the daylights out of those heterosexuals. Gay = fun, silly, swell. Homosexual = penis and anal (very very scary to them).

Exactly, R33, and what I like about it--it's nice and clinical.

I like referring to ‘gay bars’ as ‘homosexual bars’ and ‘homosexual clubs’. That’s funny to me.

I like being a militant homosexual!

The word is very offensive. The correct term is homosexualist.

I'll take Itinerate Cockhound thanks.

Gay implies that there is a culture with it's own rituals and customs that. not everyone wants to partake in. That's why the DL has flourished. You have a huge population of men who want the male-male sex and not drag, "queering", gay bestie, faabulous kiki shit that has been stereotypically gay. They are fine with traditional straight behavior in terms of recreation and socialization, along with dudefucking a dude. Dudebros are homosexual but not gay.

"I'll take Itinerate Cockhound"

Oh, dear.

Just say homeowner.

No, the correct term is homoseggsuah.

I thought it was homosessual !!!

Homosexual is more clinical, but I don’t mind it. I’ve found that people who have issues with gay men have referred to me as “homosexual”, but I still don’t mind it, even though I know they mean harm.

My mom, who has been mostly bigoted towards homosexualists her whole life, has referred to them/me (I go by ‘they/me’ pronouns) as ‘queers’ or ‘gay’, never ‘homosexual’. And she’s old-fashioned, as well as old.

She needs to get with it, R45. Homosexual is where it's at.

Queers is derogatory, but the new gay/bi/trans/disoriented crowd doesn't know that.

They know it^.

Well, R47, they've indoctrinated a lot of respectable mainstream straight academics, newscasters, journalists, etc., into using it, convncing them it's okay and what "we" all want to be called.

As promised

I'd still prefer to see the "respectable mainstream straight academics, newscasters, journalists, etc." shudder and choke on their words when they had use the word homosexual.

Yeah, r49, & it’s not like anybody even ASKED US if it we wanted to be called qu**r.

No vote. Not even a debate.

It’s ok to call homosexuals a homophobic slur.

“Gay” has less syllables and doesn’t sound so clinical and dated. I haven’t liked the term “homosexual” for as long as I can remember. But sometimes there is a comical effect. Depends on who is saying it.

I canceled my Criterion Channel subscription because they kept calling gay-themed films “Queer Cinema.” Always, always, always the word ‘queer’. I let them know that was exactly why I canceled it, too.

It's true, R53, that, being a one-syllable word, it's easier for simpletons to say and pronounce.

This article explains why many find the word offensive. It was (and still is by some) used to describe a sexuality that's perverted, sinful, and criminal.

Which, again, R56, why it needs to be reclaimed--unless we all want to be called queers.

Non-men? Lesbians are non-men? JFC

Homosexplease is a good compromise.

I prefer cockjockey.

I like that it's a relational description: I'm attracted to a specific biological sex that is the same as mine. Queer isn't a word I use for myself because it's so vague.

Being from an older generation, I find the term homosexual somewhat pathologizing. Gay seems gentler but it also evokes the image of a person being always bubbly which, no. Of course I use them both but I can understand the younger generations searching for terminology that reflects more soberly who they are.

So "queer" is how the younger generations searching for terminology that reflects more soberly who they are see themselves, R62. They can have their word and I'll keep mine.

I agree that queer is detestable, R63.

I've never considered there a problem with the term "homosexual". I don't really use it, but it is what I am at the same time.

What odd about that link at R11, is the definition of heterosexuality after you've read the one for homosexuality:

[quote]A sexual orientation in which a person feels physically and emotionally attracted to people of a gender other than their own.

Leaving aside the use of "gender" there for a moment, in what is clearly a definition around "sex", why is it so different from the definition of homosexuality? You'd think they'd just be mirror images of each other. Why is homosexuality outdated? Who decided that and why? It seems pretty clinical and a pretty standard term. Why is heterosexuality also does not "pathologise" straight people?

And then there's this under the definition of homophobia:

[quote]As a staff, we’ve been intentionally moving away from using words like "transphobic,” “homophobic,” and "biphobic" because (1) they inaccurately describe systems of oppression as irrational fears, and (2) for some people, phobias are a very distressing part of their lived experience and co-opting this language is disrespectful to their experiences and perpetuates ableism.

Sorry, but this seems ridiculous, especially note (2).

When I was a kid in the 90s, I feel like this was the kind of thing that people used to joke about when they were discussing political correctness, now come to fruition.

[quote]Non-men? Lesbians are non-men? JFC

MOVIE TRAILER VOICE: Just when the lesbians thought they had completely escaped being defined by men...

Seriously, you ladies have my sympathy here. That is insulting.

I was wondering that too, R65 — ‘homosexual’ is only ‘problematic’ or ‘pathologizing’ if it came first, specifically to describe a pathology, and then ‘heterosexual’ came later to describe a ‘normal’ orientation. Sort of like the trans/cis nonsense. Is that what happened?

There’s nothing wrong with using ‘homosexual’. This whole idea of discontinuing use of a word because it was the most common word to describe a thing back when that thing was demonized, is ridiculous. Same with ‘prostitute’ vs ‘sex worker’. As if the term ‘sex worker’ somehow changes the nature of the profession or how people think of it. It’s a very postmodern conceit, and ridiculous. Changing reality with the language we use. No, reality doesn’t work like that.

Exactly, R67!

I mean, I AM a homosexual. I'm a male who is sexually attracted to other males. Seems pretty simple to me.

Looking into it more, I think some of the people who don't like the word don't like it because it is a bit too specific - it can't be altered the way terms like "gay man" and "lesbian" have been by some to, let's be honest, include people who aren't actually under the terms "gay man" or "lesbian". It's basically what it says on the tin. If that makes sense?

^Oh god, and I just kept looking and from what I can see, the whole "homosexual is a slur" argument started... wait for it... on tumblr! This is where we're at now. Random tumblr thoughts are becoming attempts at real world definitions!

Funnily enough, I came across this from one of our government departments and, I mean, see if you notice what is missing…

Yep, no definition of homosexual. Definitions of bisexual and heterosexual (based around gender not sex) but homosexual is not there. This is very weird. This group ‘informs government policy’ as part of its remit.

They do have definitions of gay and lesbian:

[quote] Gay: an individual who identifies as a man and is sexually and/or romantically attracted to other people who identify as men. The term gay can also be used in relation to women who are sexually and romantically attracted to other women.

[quote] Lesbian: an individual who identifies as a woman and is sexually and/or romantically attracted to other people who identify as women.

They also say this (bolding mine):

[quote] Homonormativity: a term that describes the privileging of certain people or relationships within the queer community (usually [bold]cisgender, white, gay men[/bold]). This term also refers to the assumption that LGBTIQA+ people will conform to mainstream, heterosexual culture; for example, by adopting the idea that monogamy, marriage and having children is a natural and normal relationship progression.

I’m not THAT old, but what is going on?

r70 Sigh. Australia.

I’m an out and proud homosexual man.

I like homosexual, and some homophobes use it as a way to seem pathologic, clinical, that I have some sort of condition, but I don’t mind. I’m homosexual, gay, not queer.

[quote] Sigh. Australia.

Yeah, I was actually really surprised when I saw that, because stuff that is viewed as being ‘from America’ usually doesn’t make it here. And it weirded me out that I don’t think gays/lesbians here are aware of these changing definitions and the definitions themselves are just incorrect in many places.

Lol no you can’t be homosexual you have to only date trans people

I’m reclaiming homosexual …

Also reclaiming queer as a slur

What’s so crazy is that even the terms like heterosexual in R70 are being defined as not being about sex, which is patently untrue - the clue is in the name. How is it people don’t see this when they’re writing these things? It’s a worrying indictment on our education system.

[quote] Heterosexual: an individual who is sexually and/or romantically attracted to the opposite gender.

[bold]HOMASECKSHUL[/bold]

It's very telling that no one say nothing about heteroSEXual or biSEXual, only homoSEXual.

Vast majority who don't like are homophobic troonies and some of their activists, I prefer 100% 'Homosexual' than 'Queer' (that includes heterosexual people nowadays)