Gay

 refers to the attraction or desire for the same/similar gender(s). While the term gay can apply to men, women and non-binary individuals, it is sometimes use to only refer to gay men. It is also used as an umbrella term for anyone in the LGBTQ+ community.

Alternate Names
l is found in an 1869 German pamphlet by the novelist Karl-Mal is found in an 1869 German pamphlet by the novelist Karl-Ma

Etymology
The word "homosexual" comes from the Greek word homos, meaning "the same".

The word "gay" has had many meanings over the years. The term took a sexual meaning in the 1600s, the "carefree" nature of the word being used to refer to individuals with unrestrained morals and prone to decadence and promiscuity; as such, prostitutes became known as "gay woman," a womanizer as a "gay man," and a brothel as a "gay house".

Definitions

 * The adjective describes people whose enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attractions are to people of the same sex. - Gaycenter.org
 * of, relating to, or intended for people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, etc. - Merriam Webster

History
The Greeks or Romans did not have a social construct of "homosexuality" at the time, though they had practiced diverse sexual relations commonly referred to as pederasty. These relationships involved an older man and a younger man.

Same-sex relations were also recorded in Africa. Male Azande warrios in Northern Congo were known to participate in same-sex activities with younger men, who also assisted with daily household tasks.

Various African tribes had their own terms to describe gay relations, such as "yan daudu," a Hausan term to describe feminine men who were considered a wife in relationships. Other tribes believed same-sex sexuality to be a source of magical powers, encouraging crop fields and good health.

Homosexual sex is a feature of a chapter in the Indian Kama Sutra, with lesbians being recognized as "swarinis".

The two Indian gods, Varuna and Mitra, were depicted in a homosexual relationship. In historical texts, they are mentioned as the personfication of two half-moons, merging with one another as the moon waxes and wanes.

In Ancient China, ten out of thirteen emperors were documented as having relations with other men in addition to their wives and concubines.

The first known use of the term "homosexual" was found in German pamphlet in 1868 by the novelist Karl-Maria Kertbeny.

Statistics
In a survey from 2013, a total of 1.5% of adults in the U.S. idenfified as "gay".

Controversy
The term "homosexual" has gotten controversy, as it has been considered an outdated term that is derogatory and offensive to many gay individuals.

Perceptions and Discrimination
In Abrahamic influenced regions, homosexuality was often condemned by religious cultures as a "crime against nature," especially sex between men. With the rise of Christianity in Rome, the death penalty for homosexuality was enacted in 342 AD by Emperor Constantine of the Roman Empire.

18th century and 19th century punishments for sodomy (sex between men) included death by fire or hanging, as well as forced castrations in France, Great Britain, Italy, Denmark and other surrounding countries. These sentences became less harsh later on, usually instead resulting in year of imprisonment.

Religious influences from early history are still contribute to various conservative views, especially that of Evangelical Protestants. Various countries in the modern day either denounce gay identities or outright criminalize them.

Subsets

 * Gay Spike
 * Homocurious
 * Homoflexible

Flags
The rainbow flag was originally designed by Gilbert Baker and was first displayed in a Gay Freedom Day Parade celebration on June 25, 1978. The flag represents the entire LGBTQ+ community, but is commonly used to represent gay indiviudals specifically. The flag originally had eight stripes, which each stripe having a specific meaning. Hot pink represents sex, red represents life, orange represents healing, yellow represents sunlight, green represents nature, turquoise represnts magic and art, indigo represents serenity and violet represents spirit.

The design has changed over the years. As the demand for rainbow flags increased, they began selling them with seven stripes, removing the pink stripe due to a lack of pink fabric. In 1979 the design changed again, combining teal and indigo so the flag could be split in half for each side of the street. This has lead to the most common variation of the gay flag seen today.

A general/specific homo- flag was designed by Tumblr user pastelroswell via submission to the blog Beyond-MOGAI-Pride-Flags. Each color is paired with a similar color to represent attraction to and relationships between similar genders, along with representing that homo- individuals aren't necessarily attracted to the exact same gender exclusively. The purple represents the history of purple being a symbolic color of queer communities.

Another flag for individuals who experience any form of gay attraction was created on November 22, 2021 by Tumblr user androgynousxandroid. This flag was inspired by the lesbian, veldian and enbian flags.

On February 11, 2019 the Tumblr users imoga-pride and Beyond-MOGAI-Pride-Flags created gay flags for individuals to use regardless of gender.