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Research about homosexuality - General

I'm doing research for a book in which two characters are gay. This first question is general, pretty much because of my curiosity.

When people refer to homosexuals, they say gay and lesbian for men and women, respectively? Besides the obvious, what is the difference? One can refer to a female as being gay, but not a male as being lesbian. I'm guessing that lesbian comes from a Latin or Greek name, but I'm not sure. If I'm correct, is there a similar name for a male homosexual?

Have I confused you yet? I think you know what I'm asking.

Thanks

Steph

Comment

What is Gay? What is Lesbian? Are there any differences in these two terms?

Posted by: forumadmin at 2006-05-30

The term Gay is an adjective that has been long used to mean carefree, happy, or pleasant.

During the recent times, however, this term (gay) is often used (either as a noun or as an adjective) to refer to persons who are homosexuals -i.e. individuals who are sexually oriented toward members of their own gender. The term Gay is also used these days to describe the lifestyle and cultural traits of homosexual persons. When used in aforementioned contexts, it usually describes both: homosexual males and females.

Unlike the seemingly gender neutral term "Gay," the term Lesbian, is used exclusively to describe homosexual females.

Comment

Affection and acceptance

Posted by: sadears at 2006-07-04

This is a question about showing affection and acceptance.

In today's climate, homosexuality seems to be more accepted by society. I wonder how accepting is it really? Does the average gay couple worry about showing affection in public, holding hands, sharing a chaste kiss?

What about family attitudes these days?

My characters are two men who come from very open-minded families. The only difficulty being their mothers were upset because they were the last to find out. My guys, Liam and Tony, are very open with their families and they have no problem showing affection in front of them. I am in the midst of writing a scene where Liam's brothers are asking questions, some rather personal.

Is this scenario (family acceptance and open discussions) anywhere near normal or am I writing a book that is truly fiction?

Thanks for your help.

Steph