American sign language for gay

Watch how to sign 'gay' in American Sign Language. Though American Sign Language (ASL) has been around since the early s, LGBTQ-related words are only becoming more commonplace now. As the desire to develop a deeper understanding of various LGBTQ identities expands, so does sign vocabulary. Understanding how to convey your sexual orientation in sign language can help foster inclusive and supportive communities.

In this guide, we will explore the formal and informal ways to say “I am gay” in sign language, focusing on American Sign Language (ASL). So, let’s get started!. We express 'gay' in American Sign Language by tapping the letter G on our chin or fingerspelling the word.

This sign is recognized within the LGBTQ+ community and promotes inclusivity and effective communication with Deaf individuals. I just do the initialized "GAY" / "LESBIAN" signs on the chin. Or if in an unknown group I'll spell G-A-Y. For partner I do the "roommate" sign. But what do I know? I'm like the world's straightest geek.

The other day a tattooed motorcyclist showed me half a dozen signs for "gay" that he says are in use. One of which was "tugging on the earlobe. Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages. Classes can only go so far in teaching real-world vocabulary, however. Throughout my immersion in the Deaf community, I feel like I have been collecting these signs and developing my own personal understanding of what they represent.

Like English, the words and signs we use to identify and describe ourselves have power for ourselves, our audience, and our culture. As our words and signs change, they embody shifting individual and social representations of LGBTQ identities. When we step back and take a moment to analyze these signs, we can develop a deeper understanding of how our understanding of LGBTQ identities and discourse have evolved.

Though the meaning and impact of a reclaimed sign depend on the experience of the signer, the listener, and their intentions, this sign has undisputed power regardless of usage. To me, this sign reflects our history as a resilient community —we were derogatorily described using words for the way that we were killed i. Instead of being passively hounded with hateful slang, queer people reclaimed what was once used to hurt us to instead instill us with pride.

This is one of my favorite signs for queer because of the audacity of the sign. It is about non-conformity to a cisgender and heterosexual society. This sign tells us that to be queer is to be radical. This sign references the rainbow flag popularized by Gilbert Baker. To me, this sign is the least controversial sign to engage in identity discourse as it succinctly references a number of positive attributes of our community.

This sign utilizes fingerspelling to represent the concept. Because it is directly from English, it has no additional implications than what the word carries in itself. By and large, this is considered to be the most neutral way to refer to a person who identifies as queer. Though these signs may vary in implication, I appreciate them because of the truth that they all speak to our queer community.

We are resilient, radical, colorful, everyday people.

sign language for gay man

The diversity of our language parallels our endless interpretations of our community. There is not, nor can there ever be, a single word nor sign to describe us; despite the commonalities of our experiences, it is our different ways of seeing queerness that sustain us. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners.

You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Main Menu U. News U. Politics Congress Extremism. HuffPost Personal. NEW: Games. International U. Follow Us. Terms Privacy Policy. What's Hot.