Mea Culpa:
I have no idea when gay became such an offensive word... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" />
It is <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/question.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/question.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/question.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/question.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/question.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/question.gif" alt="" />
A couple of pages back you (Mea) posted this link:
GayI was interested to see the last definition which was "Loose; dissipated; lewd."
Perhaps that meaning pre-dated the meaning of gay as homosexual?
"Gay" could then have later been used to intend an insult towards homosexuals? I remember when 'alternative' and hippy types were described as "Freaks" by people who wished to insult them. The hippies promptly adopted the term and began calling each other 'freaks' as a badge of honour, and turned it into a term of affection. Maybe homosexuals did the same thing with 'gay' after it was thrown at them by people who meant to insult them??
I'm guessing (by your use of the somewhat 'iconic' Wonder Woman as an avatar) that you have more knowledge about this than you're letting on. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" />