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Page from the dictionary with the definition ‘clarify (remove errors), he has clarified the misunderstanding’ © Elisabeth Brenker​/​TU Dortmund
#klargestellt

gay (adj.)

Gay is a sexual orientation. The term primarily refers to men who feel emotionally and/or sexually attracted to other men. Some non-binary people also use gay as a self-descriptor if they are primarily attracted to men. The term has been used as a self-descriptor and politically charged term since the 1970s (GRA, 2015).

Word origin and (self-)understanding

The origin of the word schwul can be traced back to the Low German swōl or swūl (DWDS, n.d.), which described "oppressively humid" weather (GRA, 2015). When it was adopted into High German at the beginning of the 18th century, the word changed to schwül, presumably in reference to its opposite, kühl (DWDS, n.d.). At the same time, the derogatory term "warm brother" or just "warm one" for homosexual men emerged in colloquial language (Grimm, 1854; GRA, 2015). This is probably based on the use of the word warm as a synonym for character traits such as having a lust for life, voluptuousness, temperament, sentimentality, sensitivity and cordiality (Grimm, 1854). Warm was already used in this form in the 1790s (Grimm, 1854). Due to the association of the term schwül with these metaphors, which linked warmth and homosexuality, the word schwul in its original form without umlauts took on the connotation it still has today at the beginning of the 20th century (QuelleGrimm, 1854; DWDS, n.d.).

Until the 1970s, gay was often used pejoratively. For many centuries, same-sex love and sexuality was stigmatized and criminalized by institutions such as the church, the state and medicine. Until 1990, it was classified as a "mental illness" or "personality disorder" (WHO, 2018) in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) of the World Health Organization (WHO). It was not until the 1990s that homosexuality was gradually depathologized and removed from the relevant registers (Will, 2023). This decision was made in response to vehement activism from the LGBTTIAQ+ community. Among others, the Association of Gay and Lesbian Psychiatrists (AGLP) explicitly stated that non-heteronormative sexualities have no place on disease registers (Nakajima 2003).

However, this was preceded by social changes in the course of the cultural revolution and the reddest of the late 1960s: homosexual men and women consciously reclaimed the term gay and made it an expression of their identity and belonging to the gay community (GRA, 2015). As a result, the term increasingly developed into a positive self-descriptor that went beyond the mere description of sexual orientation.


Social discourse: between increased acceptance and ongoing discrimination

The LGBTQ+ movement has achieved a great deal since the 1970s. Visibility and acceptance are often at the heart of their concerns. For gay and lesbian people in particular, the introduction of marriage equality, or ‘Ehe für Alle’ in Germany in 2017 (Mair, Bräutigam & Sindram, 2017) was a significant milestone on the road to legal equality. This change not only symbolizes legal progress, but also strengthens social awareness.

The Ipsos LGBTQ+ Pride Record, in which people aged 16 to 74 from 26 different countries were asked about their opinions on LGBTQ+ issues for market research purposes, shows that there is broad support for this development: three quarters of Germans believe that lesbians, gays and bisexuals (78%) and trans people (75%) should be effectively protected from discrimination (Ipsos, 2025).

Nevertheless, discrimination and exclusion continue to exist in everyday life and in institutional structures. Prejudice and derogatory remarks are still widespread, especially in youth slang, and the term "gay" is often used as an insult.

It is also clear in public discourse that homophobic prejudices still exist. For example, in a statement made by current German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in an interview for Bild live in 2020. When asked about a possible gay chancellor, he said: "As long as it's within the law and as long as it doesn't affect children - at this point, however, I've reached an absolute limit - it's not an issue for public discussion" (Vooren, 2020). This statement suggests a false and harmful link between male homosexuality and paedophilia.

This is also reflected in a recent survey: according to a survey conducted by the Robert Bosch Stiftung in 2025, a quarter of respondents agree with the sentiment that homosexual couples should not have children. 22% of respondents stated that they think it is "disgusting" when homosexuals kiss in public (Arant et al., 2025, p. 19). These figures clearly show that discrimination and negative attitudes towards gay people are still present, despite social progress.

Visibility and media representation of gay issues are important building blocks for reducing prejudice, increasing social acceptance and empowering gay people. An example for this is the case of former US ice hockey player Jesse Kortuem, who decided to publicly come out after the success of the queer drama series Heated Rivalry (2025) (Schwulissimo n.d.).

 

Status: May 2026

Sources (in German)

The glossary is meant to evolve through mutual exchange with readers.

We regularly put the definition of a term up for discussion under #klargestellt. Do you have questions or suggestions? Join the discussion and contribute to a better understanding of the terms! We welcome your feedback to: shk.gleichstellung@tu-dortmund.de

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