Dictionary.com app definition on the iPhone for the word 'gay':
1) having or showing a merry, lively mood: gay spirits; gay music
2) bright or showy: gay colors; gay ornaments
3) given to or abounding in social or other pleasures: a gay social season
4) licentious; dissipated; wanton: The baron is a gay old rogue with an eye for the ladies.
5) HOMOSEXUAL
6) of, indicating, or supporting homosexual interests or issues: a gay organization
7) a homosexual person, esp. a male
8) in a gay manner
Encarta World English Dictionary definition for the word 'gay': (my copy published in 1999)
1) HOMOSEXUAL homosexual in sexual orientation
2) MERRY full of light-heartedness and merriment (dated)
3) BRIGHT IN COLOUR brightly coloured (dated)
4) CAREFREE having or showing a carefree spirit (dated)
5) DEBAUCHED leading a debauched or dissolute life (dated)
6) HOMOSEXUAL especially a male homosexual
In the Random House College Dictionary given to me upon my high school graduation in 1988 by then vice-principal of Livingston High School, Joan Orr, the meaning for 'gay' still centered around a joyous mood or convivial aspect of person. The 5th definition, listed as a slang use, was for homosexual.
A Webster's New World Dictionary: Basic School Edition, copyrighted lastly in 1971 -- which was either found by me at a garage sale or given to me by a friend who herself unearthed it at a garage sale -- contains only two adjectival references referring to happy, and bright and showy. (An interesting sidebar: the printing company was based in Nashville, Tennessee. Just up the road from me.)
I won't test your patience with entries from my collection of thesauri (or thesauruses, take your pick) to point out the order over the decades of varied and sundry synonym forms for 'gay.' The message is clear: the English language has changed over time. And, depending upon the scope of the dictionary, whether published for an American readership or a more international audience, the use and significance attributed to the word can vary. This seems to dovetail with an e-mailed tidbit a friend shared with me recently, whereby he noted that American English seemed to differ from European English in key areas. Please note this is not a controlled scientific study, but more of an observation based on what I've come across in my research for this particular blog entry. But I do wonder what group of contemporary experts decided what definition would be best suited to the particular publication. And what were their criteria? Were any of them happy? Or homosexual? Or, perhaps, both?
The obvious question to anyone who doesn't know me very well or who has not exposure to my Facebook wall is why all of this somewhat academic attention to the word 'gay?' There may be a follow-up question concerning my familiarity with, and ownership of, dictionaries in general. Both are to be expected and welcomed.
In early July of this year, I began a daily feature on my Facebook page called 'Random Gay Pic of the Day.' It started with an exasperated comment made by my younger, but considerably taller and blonder, brother. I spent almost three weeks in California visiting him and our baby brother. In the process, my camera and iPhone were kept quite busy chronicling the journey. I may have crossed the line into paparazzi-ish type behavior every now and again, taking big sister special company liberties. It was our last night together. His wife had prepared a lovely supper which we ate on the patio in the mellowing sunset, accompanied by glasses of red wine and dishes of homemade vanilla ice cream.
In the middle of our conversation, I was struck by his casual pose and quickly took the shot so as to upload it for my fans of the Gloria status updates. In a tone encompassing a candid trifecta of sibling affection, brotherly annoyance, and personal resignation to circumstances beyond his understanding and control, he intoned, "Oh, great! Another random gay picture for your Facebook page." Though I knew his usage of the word to be in keeping with the modern perjorative employed mainly by middle and high school kids, but widespread in certain sectors of worldwide communities, I chose to post his picture with the phrase because his statement pleased me, tickled me, colored me happy. Yes, I really do give that much thought in the merest of seconds to any number of things which enter my brain through the senses God gave me.
By the next day, friends on my wall had commented with delight and the question was asked as to when the next Random Gay Picture would make an appearance: it had become a Title overnight! People specifically wanted to see it continue. They looked forward to checking in on a daily basis. I loved the idea. Facebook was, and is, my playground, open to friends and family and fun. Not to mention pictures upon pictures. To me, the online social site is a mode of connection and communication, usually more casual and less serious, though levity is at times temporarily suspended out of necessity. In general, my thought life, and much of what I deal with on an everyday basis, is quite serious and heavy. Facebook is one of the few regular forums at my immediate disposal for lightheartedness.
So, that one carefree photo post morphed into days, weeks, and almost three months of pictorial posts featuring very random moments, objects, and people in various states. There was no rhyme or reason other than they captured my attention in a small space of mental time and begged to be the subject for the day. One day's shot was a moist sponge -- humorous to me because a girlfriend of my daughter's had an aversion to the word 'moist' which I found peculiar. I had launched into a friendly defense of the word, pointing out that the best cakes and brownies could not be adequately described without employing it. I tagged her after uploading. Another time, more than once I believe, roadkill piqued my antennae. What can I say? It interests me, the way animals end up caught in these odd squashed poses of finality. They are almost beautiful. And, these days I can't see a dead-by-Michelin racoon or skunk without recalling a man I saw on 'Sunday Morning' who went about collecting freshly deceased highway fare and preparing it for his dining pleasure. His freezer was full of carefully cleaned and cut fauna of the less traditional sort.
My last official Random Gay Photo (I vacillated between 'pic' and 'photo') was a still life of my high school daughter's hair piece. She bought the thing to beef up her already long full locks for last year's prom. One of her girlfriends showed her how to maintain the rather costly piece of synthetic vanity, and she's taken to wearing it almost everyday since summer ended. It cracks me up. On this particular evening, I happened across it on the coffee table. All alone. Bereft without its owner. I tossed it on the carpet and forever captured it on digital. It's likeness on Facebook attracted several entertaining comments. Mission accomplished.
But I also received a very thoughtful and uncharacteristically long Facebook e-mail message from a friend who fits the aforementioned first and sixth definition of Encarta's entries. He was contacting me at the behest of several of his straight friends who had happened upon my feature and found it offensive. Though his personal knowledge of me had tempered his concern over my use of the word 'gay,' and he actually found himself defending me, they brought up valid points which he gamely tried to convey. He included a link to a website which he felt stated more clearly what he was attempting to carefully but emphatically express: http://www.thinkb4youspeak.com/glsen/consequences/ .
Reading that e-mail and checking out the website enhanced my perspective and instantly changed my playground into an internal forum for an intense, and not altogether comfortable period of time.
More on that tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment