Well, presumably because gays are perceived as persons who happen to be happy and carefree whereas homosexuals are those who indulge in same-sex activities... but I could be wrong...
km
Except that the poll states "gays and lesbians", and lesbians are by default homosexuals who indulge in same-sex activities. Except they have boobies.
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#516112 - 04/26/1001:49 PMRe: gays vs. homosexuals
[Re: SgtBaxter]
yoyo52 Nothing comes of nothing.
Registered: 05/25/01
Posts: 30417
Loc: PA, USA
I think it's pretty simple. "Homosexual" is a generic, medical term. Naturally enough people who don't see themselves as ill because of the sexual choices they make reject the term. So the general term gets split into gays, who are males, and lesbians, who are females, terms that do not have the medical baggage and so aren't objectionable.
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#516130 - 04/26/1003:10 PMRe: gays vs. homosexuals
[Re: keymaker]
yoyo52 Nothing comes of nothing.
Registered: 05/25/01
Posts: 30417
Loc: PA, USA
It originated as a medical term. Since six-of-one invoked the majesty of the OED, I'll point out that the OED has as the first usage of the term, in 1892, an entry in Krafft-Ebing's Psychophathia Sexualis--sexual psychopathologies. The term is still understood in those terms. But I agree that it is in fact not a disease or a medical condition. Therefore gays and lesbians reject the term because of its etymological pejoration.
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