Sexual attraction or romantic relationship between people of the same gender, or the identity and culture associated with being attracted to the same gender.
From Greek 'homo' (same) combined with Latin 'sexualis' (sexual). The word was coined in Germany in 1869 by a doctor and entered English in the late 1800s as a scientific term.
Interestingly, the word 'homosexuality' is less than 200 years old, which means most of human history didn't have this specific clinical term—yet same-sex relationships existed and were documented in countless cultures throughout history.
Medicalized and criminalized from late 1800s onward; language evolved from pathological 'disease' to identity category, reflecting shifts in power and rights.
Use 'homosexuality' clinically or historically; prefer 'gay' or 'lesbian' in modern contexts unless discussing medical/historical discourse. Avoid when labeling identity as deviation.
["gay","lesbian","same-sex attraction (when referring to behavior)"]
LGBTQ+ people reclaimed language from psychiatric oppression; honor this by using current identity terms respectfully and rejecting pathologizing framing.
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