Public's perception on gay men
The public’s perception of Gay Men.
When you encounter a gay man, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? How do you perceive him? Do you make statistical assumptions just because he’s gay or based on the way he’s dressed or the way he acts? Being ‘gay’ is simply a label in which society has associated with homosexuals, just as being straight is associated with heterosexuals. But what exactly does it mean to be ‘gay’ and who are we to make assumptions about them? There really is no such thing as a ‘gay’, there are only people.
So how did the word ‘gay’ develop its meaning towards homosexuals? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, gay means “sexually attracted to someone of the same sex; cheerful and lively; or relating to homosexuals.” The word ‘gay’ seems to have its origins around the 12th century in England, derived from the Old French word ‘gai’. The word’s original meaning meant something to the effect of joyful or carefree. But let’s fast-forward to the 19th century and now the word gay is referring to a prostitute and a gay man is someone who’s known for sleeping with an abundant amount of women, who were often prostitutes. Sort of ironic considering the fact that nowadays, gay men don’t sleep with women at all.
Gay men are continuously subjected to discrimination throughout society. “Adam & Eve, not Adam and Steve” is a common phrase used amongst younger generations to portray their ignorance towards the gay population. Also many people from different religious backgrounds believe that in the beginning God made Adam a man and Eve a woman. He gave Adam a woman, not a man, so that the human race can maintain and reproduce. There are many scriptures throughout the bible in which people quote to try and prove a point about how being ‘gay’ is morally wrong. For example “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it [is] abomination” (Bible: Leviticus 18:22) yet the bible also states ‘There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to
When you encounter a gay man, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? How do you perceive him? Do you make statistical assumptions just because he’s gay or based on the way he’s dressed or the way he acts? Being ‘gay’ is simply a label in which society has associated with homosexuals, just as being straight is associated with heterosexuals. But what exactly does it mean to be ‘gay’ and who are we to make assumptions about them? There really is no such thing as a ‘gay’, there are only people.
So how did the word ‘gay’ develop its meaning towards homosexuals? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, gay means “sexually attracted to someone of the same sex; cheerful and lively; or relating to homosexuals.” The word ‘gay’ seems to have its origins around the 12th century in England, derived from the Old French word ‘gai’. The word’s original meaning meant something to the effect of joyful or carefree. But let’s fast-forward to the 19th century and now the word gay is referring to a prostitute and a gay man is someone who’s known for sleeping with an abundant amount of women, who were often prostitutes. Sort of ironic considering the fact that nowadays, gay men don’t sleep with women at all.
Gay men are continuously subjected to discrimination throughout society. “Adam & Eve, not Adam and Steve” is a common phrase used amongst younger generations to portray their ignorance towards the gay population. Also many people from different religious backgrounds believe that in the beginning God made Adam a man and Eve a woman. He gave Adam a woman, not a man, so that the human race can maintain and reproduce. There are many scriptures throughout the bible in which people quote to try and prove a point about how being ‘gay’ is morally wrong. For example “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it [is] abomination” (Bible: Leviticus 18:22) yet the bible also states ‘There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to