Gay is an adjective that in modern usage usually refers to homosexuality. In earlier and in literary usage, the word means "carefree", "happy", or "bright and showy". From the 1890s, it had begun to carry a connotation of promiscuity, as in a "gay house" referring to a brothel. It began to be used in reference to homosexuality in particular from the early 20th century, from the 1920s at the latest.

The word "gay" is sometimes used to refer to same-sex relationships more generally, as in "gay marriage", although this usage is discouraged by some in the LGBT community. The rationale is that this usage is exclusive of not only bisexual and transgender people but also lesbians who generally reject labels of being a subset of men, even gay men. While gay applies in some contexts to all homosexual people, the term lesbian is sex-specific: it is used exclusively to describe gay women. Sometimes gay is used to refer only to men.

Among younger generations, the word 'gay' is sometimes used in non-sexual contexts, to mean 'rubbish' or 'stupid'. Some view this as homophobic, though others cite it as an example of the evolution of living language, pointing out that some who use it do not intend it to have any relation to the meaning of the word as homosexual.

A lesbian is a woman who is romantically and sexually attracted only to other women.AskOxford.com, lesbianAskOxford.com, homosexual Women who are attracted to both women and men are more often referred to as bisexual. An individual's self-identification might not correspond with her behavior, and may be expressed with either, both, or neither of these words.

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