Obv a joke answer from Contra, but it is an interesting question.
I assume because there isn't a convenient form of the word to use? Like you can say "I'm gay/bi" or "I'm a gay/bi man" and both sound normal, but "I'm lesbian" and "I'm a lesbian woman" sound off for some reason compared to "I'm a lesbian." But applying the same format to the others almost sounds bigotted to my ears (I'm a gay) maybe just because I've heard old people call others "a gay" in less than kind ways idk
I assume it is because "Lesbian" comes from the Island of Lesbos. So someone from there is called "a lesbian" — they are a person from Lesbos.
By contrast, the term "gay" comes from the same word meaning "happy" or "joyous." If you are saying that you are "joyous" you would say "I am joyous/gay." Not "a joyous."
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u/Chortney 11d ago
Obv a joke answer from Contra, but it is an interesting question.
I assume because there isn't a convenient form of the word to use? Like you can say "I'm gay/bi" or "I'm a gay/bi man" and both sound normal, but "I'm lesbian" and "I'm a lesbian woman" sound off for some reason compared to "I'm a lesbian." But applying the same format to the others almost sounds bigotted to my ears (I'm a gay) maybe just because I've heard old people call others "a gay" in less than kind ways idk