homosexuality

Definition

Sexual orientation characterized by sexual attraction (love, desire) and formation of romantic relationships with members of ones own gender.
ETYMOLOGY: Coined in 1869 by a Hungarian physician named Karoly Maria Benkert from the Greek homos and the Latin sexus, meaning same sex. It entered the English language in 1892 through C. G. Chaddocks translation of Krafft-Ebings Psychopathia Sexualis. The term first appeared in US medical journals in the 1890s, and began appearing in general usage in the 1920s. Historical trivia: In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders.
Usage: Homosexual(ity) has long been regarded as etymologically incorrect and confusing being based on the Greek homos , meaning same as, and the Latin homo , meaning man, in which case it excluses women. For this reason but also because of the prejudice attached to it, many terms have been suggested as gender-neutral substitutes for homosexuality including: controsexual, herosexual, homogenic, homoism, homophile, homophylophilia, intermediate sex, intersexual, isosexual, simulsexual. Other words are gender-specific: androtrope (male homosexual), gyneotrope / gynaeocotrope (a female homosexual), feminosexual (a lesbian, as opposed to homosexual , male homosexual).
SYNONYMS AND SLANGONYMS: alternative lifestyle; Dorian love; Doric love; faggotry (derog.); gay; gayness; Greek love; Hellenic love; homophilia; homophylophilia; homosexualism; learn a new way; the love that dare not speak its name; oscarizing; queer (walk queer street); same sex love; that way; third gender/set/sex; urinian(ism). Female homosexuality: amor lesbicus; sapphism; tribadic.
SEE ALSO: accidental homosexuality; adolescent homosexuality; deprivational homosexuality; functional homosexuality; situational homosexuality.

QUOTES:

(1) Gay slogan: ' Homosexuality is not a four-letter word.'

(2) ' Homosexuality is a pain in the ass. ' From Graffiti. Two Thousand Years of Wall Writing by Robert Reisner.

(3) Alfred Douglas: ' I am the Love that dare not speak its name.' Last line of his poem: Two Loves .

(4) Oscar Wilde (1854-1900): ' " The Love that dare not speak its name " in this century is such a great affection of an elder for a younger man as there was between David and Jonathan, such as Plato made the very basis of his philosophy, and such as you find in the sonnets of Michelangelo and Shakespeare. It is that deep, spiritual affection that is as pure as it is perfect... It is in this century misunderstood... and on account of it I am placed where I am now.' (Statement made during his 1 ^st trial: April 30, 1895).

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