Gay is an adjective meaning "carefree", "happy", or "bright and showy"; however in modern usage, gay is a word usually used, as either a noun or adjective, to refer to homosexuals; persons sexually oriented toward members of their own gender.

"Gay", when used as an adjective, sometimes describes traits associated with both homosexual men and women, their culture, or perceived lifestyle. The term lesbian, on the other hand, is used exclusively in a gender-specific way to describe homosexual women.

Etymology

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NPR Topics: Politics & Society

Bill Would End U.S. Ban On Visas For Those With HIV
Sat, 19 Jul 2008 17:21:00 -0400
This week, the Senate approved a $48 billion extension of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Included in the bill was a provision that would lift a ban, in place since 1987, on visas for people with HIV.
The Evolving Role Of The Vice President
Sat, 19 Jul 2008 08:00:00 -0400
Scott Simon talks with vice presidential scholar Joel Goldstein about why and how the role of the vice president has changed.
Political Bloggers On Left, Right Descend On Austin
Sat, 19 Jul 2008 08:00:00 -0400
Political bloggers on both ends of the political spectrum are converging on Austin, Texas, for their respective annual conferences. Both liberal and conservative activists are trying to dominate this increasingly central forum of political discourse.

The Talk of the Town

Shape-shifter
Paul Goldberger Mon, 14 Jul 2008 04:00:00 -0000
Architects don’t usually hold elaborate press conferences to announce their new designs. But David Fisher is not a typical architect, and not only because he goes by the honorific “Dr.” Fisher, who was born in Tel Aviv fifty-nine years ago, is based in Florence, and believes that he has . . .
Isn’t It Romantic?
Rebecca Mead Mon, 14 Jul 2008 04:00:00 -0000
The plot of “The Romantics,” a new novel by Galt Niederhoffer, unfolds during the weekend wedding of Lila Hayes, a blond, beautiful, witty, and wealthy Yale graduate, and her former classmate Tom McDevon, a handsome, charming, social-climbing cipher. The book’s heroine--the clever, ill-at-ease, Brooklyn-dwelling Laura . . .
H-bloo On A-rod
Ben McGrath Mon, 14 Jul 2008 04:00:00 -0000
Shortly before his regular teatime, one day last week, the Yale literature professor Harold Bloom found an occasion to consider the plight of his beloved Yankees, as they approached the All Star break in third place, and of their star third baseman, Alex Rodriguez. “The poor fellow, you know he’s . . .

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