Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site 3comvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!oliveb!3comvax!michaelm From: michaelm@3comvax.UUCP (Michael McNeil) Newsgroups: net.motss Subject: Re: Nomenclature - Gay/Homosexual/Lesbia Message-ID: <178@3comvax.UUCP> Date: Fri, 23-Aug-85 21:02:17 EDT Article-I.D.: 3comvax.178 Posted: Fri Aug 23 21:02:17 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 25-Aug-85 01:50:28 EDT References: <3486@decwrl.UUCP> <10900001@ada-uts.UUCP> <683@ttidcc.UUCP> <290@sdcc13.UUCP> Organization: 3Com Corp; Mountain View, CA Lines: 29 > > I recall a few years ago reading in the Advocate about a group of > people who were gay who prefered to call them faggots because of the > history of the term. Faggot--slang for logs put on fires> refered > to gays because gays were burned as witches in 16-17th century. > It is interesting how we choose our labels. The *American Heritage Dictionary* reads as follows: fag.got [1] *n*. *Slang*. A male homosexual. [Origin unknown.] fag.got [2]. Variant of *fagot*. fag.ot *n*. Also *fag.got*. 1. A bundle of twigs, sticks, or branches bound together. 2. A bundle of pieces of iron or steel to be welded or hammered into bars. ... [Middle English, from Old French, from Italian *fagotto*, from Vulgar Latin *facus* (unattested), from Greek *phakelos*.] It does *not* appear that this story for the origin of the term *faggot* for male gays or homosexuals (choose your favorite) is generally accepted. _______________________ Michael McNeil 3Com Corporation ucbvax!hplabs!oliveb!3comvax!michaelm