Although in recent years the term gay increasingly has come to be
used to refer to both same-sex oriented males and females, it
generally refers to the former. Indeed, many lesbian organizations
reject the term gay as a self-designation, restricting it to males,
although this view may be less common among younger lesbian women.
Historically, the term gay stems from the Old Provencal word
"gai," meaning high spirited and mirthful. Beginning in the
seventeenth century, the term referred to the behavior of a playboy
or dashing man about town. By the 19th century, the term had come to
also refer to a woman of allegedly loose morals. The term gay did
not attain prominence as a self-selected term for openly homosexual
individuals until the late 1950s and early 1960s. It became
increasingly common in this usage by the 1970s and was established
in general usage by gays and non-gay individuals alike by the 1980s.
Gays have historically constituted a stigmatized social category.
In most countries a gay can be arrested even if he has sex with a
consenting adult male in the privacy of his house. He can legally be
denied housing, employment, and public accommodations simply because
of his sexual orientation. In response, many gays have created
organizations that seek to further their rights, in much the same
manner that African Americans and other ethnic minorities did during
the 1950s and 1960s and women did during the 1970s and 1980s. The
Stonewall Rebellion of 1969 in New York City was a watershed event
that qualitatively expanded the political activism that had been
growing in the gay community since the late 1950s. This event
constituted a spontaneous and militant act of resistance to a police
raid on the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in Greenwich Village.
The rebellion spawned a worldwide gay revolution for
self-identification, self-esteem and self-reliance amongst gay men
everywhere. It also generated greater interest in non-heterosexual
lifestyles in academic circles that has led to unravelling of other
subcultures based on same-sex desire around the world such as those
of 'kotis' in South Asia. Sexologists and sociologists are becoming
increasingly aware that society cannot be divided into comparments
such as homosexual and heterosexual, gay and lesbian, male and
female. There is an entire sexual spectrum out there including
bisexuals, transexuals and trangendered people. In fact, sexuality
is turning out to be a complex mix of biology, desire, behavior and
identity.
In the last few decades the gay men in Europe, U.S. and Australia
have established a distinctive subculture that consists of numerous
social and cultural institutions, including social and political
clubs, community centers, businesses, book stores, publications and
other media, cafes, bars, other recreation and vacation
institutions, social support and therapy groups, an extensive health
education and service structure, and geographically-bounded
neighborhoods. It also includes social networks and groups, as well
as families or married couples. Because of their stigmatized sexual
orientation, gays and lesbians often choose to socialize with each
other in a variety of public places, such as bars and cafes.
Whereas the gay subculture in the United States and elsewhere has
been in existence for some time, the AIDS epidemic that began in the
early 1980s has particularly propelled it into the limelight. In
recent years, this subculture has come under increased scrutiny by
both the general public and scholars in the social sciences and
humanities. Indeed, gay scholars are among the leading figures in an
interdisciplinary field now referred to as Gay Studies. This field
of research and cultural commentary often takes on a social
constructivist perspective, which is sometimes referred to as "queer
theory". Intentional use of terms like "queer" or "faggot" within
the gay subculture reflects an effort to assert self-acceptance and
deny the derision and rejection suffered by homosexuals in
mainstream or "straight" society. Gay Pride marches are an
expression of the effort among gays to affirm (both to themselves
and to non-gays) their right to be gay and their pride and
acceptance of their sexual orientation and various subcultural
"scenes" (i.e., diverse recreational and lifestyle subgroups).
Many gays desire to have their committed relationships legally
recognized as same-sex marriages. Presently, gays do not, for the
most part, have the legal right to make medical, legal, and
financial decisions on behalf of their partner should the need
arise. Furthermore, they may not have access to their partner's
employee health insurance or retirement benefits. The onset of the
AIDS epidemic has prompted many gays - often in coalition with
lesbians and progressive heterosexuals - to agitate for HIV
prevention programs and improved health care and treatment options
for people living with AIDS, and to oppose discrimination against
HIV infected individuals. The gay community played a leading role in
pushing for changes in federal funding for HIV/AIDS research and
services, and in accelerating access to new therapies of HIV/AIDS.
Although homosexuality has a long history in India, the gay
movement is relatively nascent. Until recently, most homosexuals in
India did not have many social and cultural avenues to express their
sexuality. This is changing now thanks to greater awareness and
education. Many men of homosexual orientation are choosing to
identity themselves as 'gay' and embracing a lifestyle that resists
marriage and other conventions of an otherwise hetersexual society.
They remain largely invisible and form networks that shy away from
the public glare for fear of social and familial backlash.
