Usage notes

* Many homosexual people prefer to be referred to by the adjective (and noun) gay. * Many female homosexuals prefer to be referred to as (term). * Many people now avoid using the term homosexual because of the emphasis it places on sexuality. Those who consider it objectionable consider it especially so when it is used as a noun; here "gay man" and either "gay woman" or "lesbian" and their plural forms are considered more preferable by such individuals who feel this way about the term. Those who feel this way about the term might consider it less objectionable when used adjectivally, as in "a homosexual relationship", though they still might prefer such terms as "gay", "lesbian", or "same-sex" in those instances as well. * Pronunciation: The word "homosexual" derives from the Greek word for "same", which is traditionally pronounced /?h?m??/, /"hQm@U/ in words derived from it, rather than the Latin word , which is pronounced /?h??m??/, /"h?Um?U/ (RP) in English words derived from it. Hence the etymology indicates that the appropriate pronunciation of the vowel in the first syllable is /?/, /Q/, but the pronunciation with the long vowel /??/, /@U/ in this position is much more commonly heard, and is the only correct pronunciation of the shortened form homo. * Because of the similarity of to the Latin word for man, the term homosexual is sometimes interpreted as meaning "sexually attracted solely or primarily to [other] men".

Usage notes

* Female homosexuals are also known as (term), a term preferred by many of them. As homosexual'' applies to people of either sex, the expression ''homosexuals and lesbians is a pleonasm and is best replaced by "homosexuals" or "lesbians" alone as appropriate, or "gay people" (see also the usage notes for the adjective, and for gay).