This word used to mean "happy,"
but it's
meaning changed when homosexuals used it
as code. They were thought of as clinically ill
and were thought only to exist as
homosexuals. The word "gay" gave them a
smaller word that was an adjective, not a
noun. This allowed those who used it to
identify as homosexual in addition to other
identities. Some people use it to include
bisexuals and lesbians. Now that bisexuals and
lesbians are gaining a separate voice, it usually
refers only to homosexual men.
