<p>Just out of curiosity, has anyone realized that when we talk about "gays" and "gay marriage" that we're discriminating against women? "Gay" is the technical term used for men; lesbian for women. That's why I try to say homosexual marriage or same-sex.</p>
<p>I am 100% for same-sex marriage and civil unions, btw. As a completely blasphemous person once said, "Lots of people in the Bible married their sisters. If that can be right, so can homosexuality and their marriages. Period."</p>
<p>interesting, i thought the term "gay" was only used to refer exclusively to males when used as part of the phrase "gay man/men" or "gay and lesbian," even though the connotation seems to refer to males more strongly. i've heard of many female homosexuals identifying themselves as "gay." ach, how confusing.</p>
<p>I am quite liberal, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that "gay" is sexist. Through use, by the GLBT community, the word has been redefined. As The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, points out:</p>
<p>"The word gay is now standard in its use to refer to homosexuals, in large part because it is the term that most gay people prefer in referring to themselves. Gay is distinguished from homosexual primarily by the emphasis it places on the cultural and social aspects of homosexuality as opposed to sexual practice. Many writers reserve gay for males, but the word is also used to refer to both sexes; when the intended meaning is not clear in the context, the phrase gay and lesbian may be used. Like the other names of social groups derived from adjectives (for example, Black), gay may be regarded as offensive when used as a noun to refer to particular individuals, as in There were two gays on the panel; here phrasing such as gay members should be used instead. **But there is no objection to the use of the noun in the plural to refer collectively either to gay men or to gay men and lesbians, so long as it is clear whether men alone or both men and women are being discussed.**"</p>
<p>It should be noted that the dictionary's primary definitions for "gay" as a sexual orientation, in both adjective and noun forms, is NOT specific to a certain sex:
<p>in standard english, if gender is not specified, it's masculine by default.</p>
<p>"Gay" is used for homosexuals, while "lesbian" is exclusively for women...I'm a Republican, but I am not against gay marriage...I'm an Atheist, so I don't have religious beliefs, nor do I believe that marriage is supposed to be a "sacred union between a man and woman"...Aside from that, marriage existed thousands of years before Christianity, so I find it ludicrous that some attribute it only to that. Ideas of it being depraved and perverted are absolutely ridiculous, as they have found an area of the brain in gay men, identical to that of the average woman, differing from the average male's...</p>
<p>Marriage is by and large a legal contract.......only Americans get this confused with religious sacrament....it is two....two.....two....
Why would I care who another person forms a legal partnership with? Why would I care that two folks want to form a legal partnership + adopt or birth children???</p>
<p>America was formed by puritans and they still are causing a problem....will we never learn??</p>
<p>Exactly...</p>