While reading this excellent post at Aunt B’s, a “related, but not quite on topic enough with her post to leave it as a comment there” kind of thought occurred to me.
Using “gay” as a noun offends me, though I have no idea why it does. I’ll happily acknowledge that “I am gay” or that “I am a gay man,” but you’d never hear me say that “I am a gay.” In fact my skin crawls a bit just typing it. Even when I know for a fact the speaker is not intending to be offensive, it makes me uncomfortable (I’ve been in that situation a few times and didn’t comment to the person using the term because I can’t think of a good reason they shouldn’t use it).
Reflecting on it now, I wonder if it doesn’t have something to do with the idea that my gay orientation is only a part of who I am, and that using the adjective as a noun somehow implies that it is ALL that I am. At the same time, that explanation seems to fall a bit short because I am A graphic designer; I am A son; I am A boyfriend; I am A brother; etc. On the other hand “graphic designer,” “son,” “boyfriend,” “brother,” etc are not and cannot be used as adjectives, so maybe therein lies the difference. I’m not sure. Seems a little weak to me, but it’s an interesting thought experiment nonetheless.
Meanwhile the phrase “gays and lesbians” doesn’t bother me in the least. Go figure.
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[...] Edited to add: Dolphin makes a good and similar point about “a gay.” [...]