In other words, correctly identifying someone as "gay" is as often a personal choice as much as it is a textbook definition. In the years since, the flag has been reduced to six colors: the flag no longer uses hot pink, and the. The colors in order, were hot pink to represent sex, red for healing, yellow for sun, green for serenity with nature, turquoise for art, indigo for harmony, and violet for spirit. According to, an international charity, these things are:įor example, a person may feel same-sex sexual attraction but not identify as "gay" whereas another person who behaves sexually towards men and women may identify as "gay." Moreover, it is not uncommon for people to identify as "gay" at some times in their lives, while straight (not gay) at other times. Gay Pride Flag Gilbert Baker created the gay pride flag in 1978, and it originally had eight stripes. Learn about General Motors history and commitment to building an inclusive culture.
Gay is a term that is not gender specific so men or women can be termed "gay." When identifying people as gay though, it's important to consider three things. GM has been a longtime supporter of LGBTQ+ equality in the workplace. It may have come from a nineteenth century French slang word, "gaie." What is Gay? The term "gay" was initially a slang term developed to overcome some of these negative associations. Homosexuality is still the correct term clinically, but even though homosexuality is no longer considered immoral, some people feel there are still negative overtones to the word given its origin. The term "homosexuality" 1 was first used by Victorian scientists who considered same-sex sexual attraction and behavior a "moral deficiency." 2 Homosexuality is considered to be same-sex sexual attraction and behavior and "gay" is a synonym of homosexuality. While "gay" can be thought of as a synonym to "homosexual," there is more to the meaning of gay than that.
The term "gay" may be confusing and even foreign to some, forcing people to ask, "What is gay?" or " Am I Gay?" And while some might think the definition of "gay" is simple, to many, it actually isn't.