Why are gay people called fruit

Leah is a middle child of three girls and has been interested in both social justice issues and writing from a young age. Smaller groups reclaiming the word and rewriting history. Your email address will not be published. Share on X. Share via Email.

Leah FrankelStaff Writer November 9, As slurs and slang fold their way into our day-to-day lives, how important is it to identify and understand the deep-rooted history behind them? These terms have often been used derogatorily to refer to LGBT people.

We live in a time where visibility and recognition feel vital, and reading between the lines becomes the nesting ground for a deep connection to a community. Question Apparently the reason why gay people are called “fruits” or “fruity” is because back in the day, being gay was considered a mental illness, and a common saying for mentally ill people was “nutty as a fruitcake”.

It allows us to understand ourselves and how we have been understood in society: through rewriting the story for ourselves, empowerment and visibility become more apparent than ever. So often is it that people will repeat and recite words without understanding the underlying message behind them.

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fruit Meaning and Examples

The term “fruit” has been used as a negative word to describe gay people, or anyone who might be LGBTQ+, or even just feminine, for a long time. Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. But as the words became more mainstream, the word twisted itself as a joke used against the community rather than by it and became an internationally used phrase, moving to.

In the 19th Century, the origins of phrases related to “fruit” lay in British sex workers and the LGBTQ community. [2] Inthe word referred to someone who was an easy target, and the term likely morphed to refer specifically to gay men. But as the words became more mainstream, the word twisted itself as a joke used against the community rather than by it and became an internationally used phrase, moving to North America.

[3]. [3] Many modern pop culture references within the gay nightlife. Over time, the words “fruit” and “fruitcake” became less of an inside joke in the gay community and more of a weapon that straight people could use to remind gay people of their otherness.

Gay men especially would use the term among themselves, gently poking fun at their feminine qualities. Today, the meaning of the word has returned mainly to how it was originally used: without negative connotation leftover from the 70s.

In her free time, she loves to sing Ella Fitzgerald, paint, read at her cabin in Rocky Mountain National Park, hike with friends, and listen to a wide range of music! I can share Cancel reply. Share on Facebook. Gay men especially would use the term among themselves, gently poking fun at their feminine qualities.

This is not to say that we must analyze every term ever used, but instead educate ourselves when discussing valuable topics such as gender, race, sexuality, and others deeply rooted in history. Verification Field.

Fruit, fruity, and fruitcake, as well as its many variations, are slang or even sexual slang terms which have various origins. [1][2] Usually used as pejoratives, the terms have also been re-appropriated as insider terms of endearment within LGBT communities.