Generations of Words

Terminology of Our Community

Mark R. Martell, Assistant Director
UIC Office of Career Services
 Activities
• Intro to Historical Lavender Linguistics (8 minutes)

• Presentation on The New Gay Teenager

(Savin-Williams, 2005) (12 minutes)

• Discussion: Process and Practice (5 minutes)

• Questions or Comments (5 minutes)

 Historical Lavender Linguistics

1) Homosexual
2) Gay
3) Lesbian
4) Bisexual
5) Transgender
6) Queer
7) Faggot
8) Dyke
9) Ally
 The New Gay Teenager
Ritch C. Savin-Williams is Professor of Clinical and Developmental
Psychology at Cornell University
ARGUMENTS:
• Teenagers are rejecting
gender categories
• The line between what
was once considered "gay"
and "straight" is becoming
blurred
• The "New Gay Teenager“
is basically a pansexual who
rejects all sexual categories
 "Gay adolescence is a modern invention" (p. 50)
• 1970s and 1980s: recognized as a distinct category from "normal"
adolescence
• 1980s and 1990s: characterized with a 'suffering suicidal' script
• The early 2000s: include resilient, proud, and adaptive individuals
• The future: 'gay' adolescence will not exist

Gay-Affirming Researchers Invented 'The Gay Teen‘

Early studies defined who was gay and who was heterosexual. The
category of bisexual was ignored or folded into the gay group. Intersecting
or multiple identities were ignored, especially in early identity development
models.

Research Incorrectly But Purposefully Focused On Troubled Gay Teens

Early studies of gay teens focused on the psychological problems. Much of
the research published during the 70s and 80s was not peer reviewed, had
flawed research designs, and included small or biased samples.
 What does Savin-Williams suggest?
• Researchers need to stop focusing on the suffering gay teen and begin
promoting the view that gay teens are healthy and fully functioning
individuals.
• Gay adolescence is being redefined as a time of angst and struggle and a
time of pleasure, acceptance, and limitless possibilities.
• I'm not a "gay person," I'm a person who happens to be gay.
• "These young people are repudiating the appropriateness and artificiality of
dichotomous definitions of sexual identity as they challenge cultural
definitions of gay lives. Gay and straight categories may have been fine
for their parents, but not for them" (p. 209).

What has caused this radical generational shift?

• The Media
• The Public School System (Project 10, GLSEN)
 What labels do “gay” teens use?
ambisexual female-identified pansexual
attracted to a bisexual polyfide
special woman fluid bisexual polygendered
attracted to gay polysexual
females heterosexual queer
attracted to the heterosexual with queerboi
person bisexuality questioning
bi-dyke heterosexual with stem
bi-lesbian questions
stud
bi-queer heterosexual, trannyboy
bisexual lesbian tendencies
trannyfag
bisexual in lesbian heterosexual-
transman
relationship identified bisexual
trisexual
bisexual lesbian
unlabeled
transgender lesbian who has
bisexual, depends sex with men
on person lesbian-identified
boidyke bisexual
dating/loving a multisexual
woman not straight
down low omnisexual
dyke pansensual
 The New Gay Teenager
• Adolescents, regardless of sexual orientation, vary in the degree
to which sexuality is a core component of their identity.
• Not all adolescents question their sexuality or seek to establish a
sexual identity.
• A person's sexuality does not necessarily follow the full extent of
a person's behaviors, perceptions, cognitions, and social
interactions.
• Despite the speculations of some clinicians, the idea that it is
healthy for an adolescent to identify with a sexuality has not been
proven.

OVERALL: It is possible not to identify oneself sexually and still

embrace one's sexuality.
 Discussion
• What experiences have you encountered when working with
LGBTQ students that relate to sexual identity labels?

• Will you or how will you use some of the knowledge you have
learned today?
Questions and Comments
 References
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http://www.etymonline.com/
Blumenfeld. W. & Raymond, D. (1988). Looking at gay and lesbian life. Boston: Beacon
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Ekins R., King D. (1997). Blending genders: Contributions to the emerging field of
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Federici, S. (2004). Caliban and the Witch. Autonomedia: Brooklyn: Autonomedia. 192, 197.
Hogan, S. & Hudson, L. (1998). Completely queer: The gay and lesbian
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Kotula, D. (2002). A conversation with Dr. Milton Diamond. In the realm of the phallus
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Savin-Williams, R. (2005). The new gay teenager. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University
Press.
Wilton, D. & Brunetti, I. (2004). Word myths: Debunking linguistic urban legends Oxford
University Press US. 176.
Wikholm, A. (n.d.). The Mavens’ word of the day. (Formerly) Jesse’s word of the day.
Retrieved 23 February 2010,
http://web.archive.org/web/20020125064021/www.randomhouse.com/wotd/
York, F. (2008). The new gay teenager. [Review of the book The new gay teenager].
National Association of Research & Therapy of Homosexuals. Retrieved 23
February 2010 from http://www.narth.com/docs/newgayteenager2.html