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Language is constantly changing. "Homosexual" refers to sexual activity between two people of the same sex, so -- strictly speaking -- saying "That person is a homosexual" would be like looking at a firefighter and saying, "That person is a fire." In general usage, "a homosexual" may refer to a male or a female.

Until the 1960's, the word "gay" was used to refer to a homosexual person of either sex. Now, "gay" refers almost always to a gay male; homosexual females are "lesbians."

At this time in the US, the preferred phrase (assuming you are referring to homosexual people in general) is "gay and lesbian" or "lesbian and gay." "Homosexual" is used only as an adjective to describe particular sexual acts. Once again, though, language is constantly changing.

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Q: Is 'gay' the official word for 'homosexual' or is it just slang?
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