Gay - Generalized Pejorative Use - Parallels in Other Languages

Parallels in Other Languages

• The concept of a "gay identity" and the use of the term gay may not be used or understood the same way in non-Westernised cultures, since modes of sexuality may differ from those prevalent in the West.

• The German equivalent for gay, schwul, which is etymologically derived from schwuel (hot, humid), also acquired the pejorative meaning within youth culture.

• The Spanish language usually employ the term homosexual to describe gay people and the community, but also use the English word "gay". The Spanish pejorative slang terms for a gay male, maricón and joto, derive in the former case from the name Maria; in the latter, from associations with dances of similar names. The Spanish slang for a lesbian, manflor, appears to derive from an association with a "masculinized" flower.