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From: bradr@ingres.ARPA (Brad Rubenstein)
Newsgroups: net.motss
Subject: Signs for "Gay"
Message-ID: <131@ingres.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 30-Oct-85 13:19:51 EST
Article-I.D.: ingres.131
Posted: Wed Oct 30 13:19:51 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 2-Nov-85 01:35:19 EST
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In article <1750@gatech.CSNET> strick@gatech.UUCP (henry strickland) writes:
>For those of us who sign, could you describe them (as you describe
>the two signs below) ? 

This is a bit technical.  I am doing this without the Woodward
text in front of me, so there might be slight variances.  Trying
to describe signs this way is like trying to tell someone how
to tie their shoelaces.  Check these out with a Deaf Gay friend
to make sure it looks right (and to find out what the connotations
of the sign are in your area).

GAY: "tug on the ear".  A gestural construction which originated
(I think) in the Manhattan gay deaf community.  It still seems to
be an "underground" sign here in San Francisco.

GAY:  open-8 (as in FEEL) palm down, moving across the top of
the head from front to back, or across the eyebrow.  I think Woodward
said that it was generally accepted.  Maybe among straights.  In most
contexts I've seen it used, it would best be translated as "faggot" or
"queen".  I've never seen it refering to a gay woman.

GAY: open-8 with contact on top of wrist, touch twice.  I've never
seen this sign before, and I remember Woodward saying it is rare.

GAY-QUEER: G handshape on tip of chin.  The point of contact is
(unusually) both index and thumb.  This makes it look different
from SOUR or MISS ("to miss someone").  The gloss is Woodwards,
and he reports it as derogatory, and some of you had mentioned
it as such on the East Coast.  I don't think it is among the gay
community in SF.

LESBIAN: L handshape on chin.  The point of contact is
(unusually) the palm-side of the bend between index and thumb.
This makes it look different from LUNCH.

G-A-Y: the fingerspelled version is the most likely to be understood,
(I guess if your not in a hurry you could spell H-O-M-O-S-E-X-U-A-L)
and apparently the least likely to offend, since you could have spelled
faggot or c*cksucker if that's what you meant.  Incidentally, this
cannot apparently have the double meaning gay/happy, since this
would surely be signed, not spelled.

The above gets all sorts of disclaimers.  Use the mis-information
at your own risk.

	Brad
-- 
	Brad Rubenstein			Project INGRES/BARTOK
	Computer Science Division	ARPA: bradr@ucbingres.ARPA
	University of California	UUCP: ucbvax!ucbingres!bradr
	Berkeley, CA 94720		PaBell: (415) 642-8149