terminology

I think I am confused about the terminology out there.
Can a woman be gay?
I thought women who were only interested in women were called lesbian?
Or are those two words interchangeable?
Is it just a matter of personal preference?

My understanding is that "gay" can be interpreted as homosexual - men & men, or women & women

Gay is used more generally as a less clinical term than 'homosexual'. So yes, girls can be gay. I personally will describe myself as either 'gay' or 'a lesbian' but don't use lesbian as an adjective (it sounds funny to me, but I'm not sure why!).

My general feeling is that gay people have been called so many awful things throughout history that we should certainly be able to choose our own descriptors now and use them as we choose. But pragmatically, there are other things that influence my choice e.g. the feeling that saying "I'm gay" is les inflammatory, or less of a statement, than saying "I'm a lesbian", and will make others relatively less uncomfortable.

Argh, even ten years since I started, I find the whole thing quite exhausting. I find it easiest of all to come out by saying 'My partner.....' and then 'Yes, she.........". And it's done

Gay is I guess an interchangeable term. However, I think lesbian is more apt for a woman who is mainly attracted to other women.

There was a time when ‘gay’ meant ‘happy’ or ‘playful’. Nowadays the word is used in reference to homosexual people, usually to men but can also be used in reference to women. Yes, ‘gay’ can be used in reference to women, but it's much more common to hear ‘lesbian’ in this case or, in some rare occasions, ‘sapphic’.

When Ellen deGeneres came out on TV, she said she was "gay." In current usage, the word applies to homosexuals of either gender. Don't feel bound by it though. If you prefer to use lesbian, queer, dyke (I don't mean this in a derogatory manner) or whatever, feel free. The English language is great like that, there is no one word for anything! Choose the one that you feel best describes what you prefer to be called.

I have another terminology question. What is the difference between transsexual and transgender? Or do they mean the same?

People use it interchangably although I think "gay" techniquely means male-male relationship and "lesbian" for femaile-female. But yea, I think that's how it goes...

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Hi Sunrise.
Lets start with Transgender. Transgender(TG) is mainly used as a all encompassing umbrella term, that includes but not exclusively, Transsexuals, Transvestites and Gender Queer.

Transsexual means someone who is gender dysphoric, i.e a bio female feels (knows) on a very deep fundamental level that they are a man, and vice-versa for male to females.
To use a simile, it's like handedness. I know i'm left handed, as i was born that way. But if i lived in a society where left handedness was frowned upon and i was coherst(sp?) to use my right hand, i would still be left handed not matter how pressure was brought to bear to say that i wasn't. It is a instinctive trait of who i am.

I hope i've made sense, as it is past 2am and last night i only had a couple of hours sleep!! O_o

Yeah, transvestites are people who dress like the other gender. For instance, the rocky horror picture show is based on this. btw- i love that movie! transsexual individuals are ones that actually get the sex change surgery. Transgendered is a general term I believe. Hope this was helpful.

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