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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
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