The Best Damn Newsletter in New Jersey! ®
CHALLENGE The Newsletter of the Gay Activist Alliance in Morris County – Serving New Jersey’s GLBTI Communities Continuously Since 1972
Volume 39, Issue 3, April 2013
I Am an Effnennlufu! by Andy Skurna
Homosexual is a bad word in my opinion. No, homosexuals aren’t bad. I just think we need a better word to describe people who develop romantic, affectionate pair bonds with people of the same gender. We are long overdue for a linguistic makeover! I have always been interested in etymology, the study of word origins. It is at times a muse. Etymologically speaking, I dislike “homosexual.” The word was coined by 19th century German psychologist Karoly Maria Benkert. He combined the meanings of two root words, homo and sexus. First, I don’t like the choice of homo. It has two different origins/meanings, which seems to confuse the less intelligent of our species. According to my 1985, Second College Edition, American Heritage Dictionary (printed on actual paper), homo (the word) is defined as “A member of the genus Homo, which includes the extinct and extant species of man.” When used as a prefix, homo means same. So, arguably, a homosexual can be either someone who has sex with someone of the same sexuality, or someone who has sex with humans. “Human” is often shortened to just “man.” For example humankind = mankind. Second, the word “sexual” seems too narrow, too limiting to encompass all the components/conditions involved with falling in love. It places way too much emphasis on genitalia, and all the dirty, seedy, forbidden ickyness that challenges our morality, which is still too deeply rooted in Puritanical and Victorian hypersensitivities. These root words have Greek and Latin origins, like almost all scientific words. And I think that for far too long, far too many have equated the word with “man sex.” In case you haven’t noticed, man and sex are NEVER portrayed as a good combination out in the world. According to those same antiquated, judgmental views, men should never have sex. Sure, humans have to allow men to have sex — otherwise we’d go extinct. But any sex that a man has that is not utilitarian, solely for the purposes of procreation, is seen as negative. This has not always been the case, and even today it is not the case in every culture. I recently read a scholarly article that described how Old Testament-era cultures believed all life came from men’s sex organs, and women just provided the storage facility while we waited for the man’s child to make its appearance. And it is very well documented that men were required to make temple sacrifices to the gods. The sacrifice of greatest value was none other than his lifegiving fluid. To help him more efficiently make his offering the temples hired prostitutes. It is also written in the same
historical documents that there were female prostitutes for straight men, and “natural eunuch” (aka homosexual male) prostitutes for men who were not straight to make their sacrifice. Hence, the origins of “man shall not lie with a man as he does a woman.” But I digress. When it comes to today’s forces that control our families, religions and governments, man + sex is never a good mix. All men are perceived as predators, unless it is someone we know; then there is a chance they may be a nice guy, but they still have “dirty” ambitions. Although the word homosexual is not limited to only one gender, most references I’ve seen reserve its use for men. Even the infamous 1967 Mike Wallace documentary “The Homosexuals” focused almost exclusively on males. Homosexual women are almost always referred to as lesbians. Of course this means they are natives of the island of Lesbos…or they could be females who have sex with other females. Again, ambiguous. I have come to this little etymological playground as a result of a debate that took place a few months ago on the GAAMC Facebook group. One member voiced his opposition to the use of the word “queer” when referring to members of the LGBTI community. Referring back to my American Heritage Dictionary, Second College Edition, I learn that “queer” means several things such as "1. Deviating from the expected or normal; strange. 2. Odd or unconventional in behavior; eccentric. 3. Of a questionable nature or character; suspicious." The 6th definition? “Offensive slang for Homosexual.” (continued on page 6)
Inside Challenge Letter From The President.... ...........................page 1 Challenge Information.... ................................ page 2 GAAMC Events.............................................. page 2 The Bulletin Board......................................... page 3 Rally for Marriage Equality............................... page 3 Gleanings: Queer news from around the world .... page 4 This Month's Contributors................................ page 6 Calendar ..................................................... page 7 Dancing to Architecture: music reviews............. page 9 Waves of Action Rebuilding the Jersey Shore........ page 10 The Little Box of Concerts.............................. page 11 Tech Treats................................................. page 12 Poetry: Rawhide/Ramrod—Remembered; Sundaes at the Bar................................... page 12 Down and Out in New Jersey.......................... page 13 Good Eats!: recipes..................................... page 13 GAAMC Information...................................... page 14