Gay as a nickname?


This film was obviously made before "gay" became the commonly understood word for male homosexual. Where was the LGTB community hanging out in Reno?

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Short for Gayland.

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The male lead of "Showboat" is also called "Gay", his name was Gaylord Ravenel.

Yeah, that was well before both "gay" and "gaylord" changed meanings.

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Gaylord? 🤣

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Gay would have been known as a word for homosexual by 1962 especially in Hollywood.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay

I don't necessarily that with the Wiki statement that "Well into the mid 20th century a middle-aged bachelor could be described as "gay", indicating that he was unattached and therefore free, without any implication of homosexuality."

Living in a backwards rural area in the mid 60's I knew it meant homosexual.

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I "like" men. I "like" women too but I prefer men. And I begrudgingly accept the term "gay" because is the common term.

But I don't like it. It implies I run around with a silly smile on my face. Believe me, I don't. I'm a very serious man.

I prefer the term "queer" because it encompasses all of us - male, female, bisexual.

"Gay" is like "Negro". It really is an outmoded term and it's on its way out.

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