Gay No Longer Means Happy

The most dreaded and hastened farewell is that of summer as it morphs from fall to winter. The change no matter if people appreciate the snow for spring crops or despise the idea of shoveling throughout the coming months, the change still happens. Denying or complaining never fixes anything; however, adapting to the change and using it to one's advantage makes the shift more palatable.

As seasons morph from one to the next, so do seasons of life, culture, and the terminology and definitions of words. The modern definition of gay has become so embedded into American society that I doubt we could change it back. Most words undergo transitions as they travel through time and space. Some changing in definitions. Others in spelling, and yet others, disappear altogether; nonetheless, it is a process that we all must come to terms with.

Words, like everything else in this world, change. This doesn’t make the change necessarily good; however, the change always reveals information about those who have aided in its change.

Although the term gay shouldn’t revert back to its original meaning, to better understand how it came to hold the meaning it does, people should understand the etymology of the word.

There are several meanings that the word gay has entertained over the years. Such definitions include: excellent, to be nicely dressed, noble, lighthearted, and fine (Mattier). The most interesting and amusing use of gay dates to the 17th century, when the term gay science translated to the art of poetry (Mattier).

Gay became associated with indulgent activities in the 16th century, and in the 18th century, the term gay house referred to a building where men could visit prostitutes (Mattier).

In the 18th and 19th centuries, and the word gay still meant happy or lighthearted (Saguy). The term gay meant happy for the better part of the 20th century (Saguy). The shift from happy to gay took hold in the latter half of the 20th century.

Although gay’s association with sexuality isn’t new, English language users began to link it to relationships in the 1960s and 70s (Mattier). In the 1930-50s the emerging gay community received backlash and, as a result, those involved became more secretive, using code to inform others of their same-sex desires and to identify themselves or others as homosexuals undetected in mixed company (Saguy).

One such code word was gay. Following the Stonewall Rebellion in 1969, gay became the banner for those fighting for homosexuality rights or “gay rights” (Saguy). By the end of the 20th century, gay was repurposed to define same-sex relationships and self-identification (Mattier).

The definition has seen many changes; however, the more modern shift in the use of the word has attracted the most attention despite the several definitions the word has had.

Although gay held a connotation of sexuality for several hundred years before the shift to homosexuality, the shift into its defining predominantly same-sex attraction happened relatively fast.

In today’s culture, gay almost exclusively refers to any non-heterosexual romantic relationships. According to some, the term is also a unifying cultural term for all non-heterosexual people to feel included (Holleb 120). When used today, gay can also take the meaning of a slur if used condescendingly or in a derogatory manner.

The change in the meaning of the word gay reflects on our American culture and reveals a shift in priority amongst the population. This shift shows that we have become more self-focused, and depending on one's perspective, this shift represents a positive or negative trajectory for Americans.

Speaking from my own experiences with having a friend who has walked away from her faith because of this shift in focus and identity, it is hard as a Christian to watch especially when the other person knows what they are doing and doesn't want to hear a peep out of you about it, but that doesn't mean we must condone it. I can call her gay, but that doesn't mean I must subscribe to the ideology that condones such actions and beliefs. It also doesn't mean I have to abandon my Christian values to love her. We can love people while keeping our values intact.

As Christians, this shift shouldn’t come as a surprise, but that doesn’t mean adjusting to it is easy. We shouldn’t conform to this world, but if we ever want to reach it, we must speak in terms the world understands, using the terms the world understands.

Instead of holding on to what the word used to mean and mulling over it, we must use words that make sense to those we are trying to impact without abandoning Christian values.

Christians don’t need to agree with the term or the lifestyle it represents in order to use the word. Gay may no longer mean happy, but Christians can be happy and rejoice in knowing how to utilize today’s vernacular to reach people and bring them into the body and family of Christ.

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About the Author:

Emily Whitehead graduated from Sioux Falls Christian School in 2022 and currently attends Summit Christian College to obtain her bachelors in Biblical Studies. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors, digging into the Word, and spending time with those she loves.

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Works Cited

Holleb, Morgan L.E. The A-Z of Gender and Sexuality From Ace to Ze. PA, Jessica Kingsley

Publishers, 2019, p.120.

Mattier, Niles. “History of the word ‘gay’: Origin of everything.” PBS LearningMedia, 2018,

https://nebraskapublicmedia.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/history-of-the-word-gay-

video/origin-of-everything/.

Saguy, Abigail. “The History of 'Coming out,' from Secret Gay Code to Popular Political Protest.”

UCLA, 20 Feb. 2020, https://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/the-history-of-coming-o ut-from-

secret-gay-code-to-popular-political-protest.