Faggot, often shortened to Fag, is a derogatory term used against gay men in particular, but has a movement based on its reclamation.[1][2] It used as a catch-all term to describe any gay man, but it is particularly used against feminine queer individuals.[2] The term has been reclaimed by the queer community in order to take away the harmful effect of it.[2] Some use the word as reclamation and a reminder that queer individuals are still a persecuted minority.
There is debates on whether queer women are allowed to call themselves faggots, but there is no clear rules about the use of the word within the queer community.[2] There is also a history of the term being used for women.[3] There is still a sense of the term being used by gay men, usually masculine gay men, in order to put down other gay men, usually effeminate gay men.[1][4] This is due to the negative stereotyping that gay men are inherently feminine, and femininity is a negative trait.[5] The term becomes more political in that sense, of also reclaiming queer femininity for gay men.[4]
It is important that the word should not be used for an individual unless they have expressed that they are okay with it. The reclamation of the term is a personal choice that should not be imposed onto someone else without consent.[4]
Etymology
The term is believed to come from the Old French word, fagot, which means a "bundle of sticks."[6] It isn't exactly known why the term became used for the queer community.[2]
History
One of the earliest uses of "faggot" in reference towards gay men in America is from 1914, when the author Louis E. Jackson published a book titled A Vocabulary of Criminal Slang, With Some Examples of Common Usages. In an entry for the Drag scene, it reads, "All the faggots (sissies) will be dressed in drag at the ball tonight."[2]
Male sex workers were often referred to as faggots or fag, regardless of their actual sexual orientation.[2]
There isn't a known reason as to why the term that was previously used to describe a bundle of sticks was transformed into a pejorative towards the queer community, but one theory is related to the idea that there were fires that the Catholic Church would burn heretics on.[3] However, there is no concrete evidence for this.[7]
In the reclamation of the slur, Erin Davies released a documentary named Fagbug about the power the term has.[2] The culture around the term began to shift towards reclamation after the Stonewall Riots of 1969.[3]
Flags & Symbols
A faggot flag was created by Tumblr user effeminancyboy. The flag is only meant to be used by men who are attracted to men and non-binary individuals who are attracted to men, as well as transfeminine individuals. The dark purple represents femininity, the purple represents transfeminine individuals, the pink represents sexuality, the peach represents love and acceptance, the yellow represents gender identity, the teal represents achillean and toric attractions, and the blue represents masculinity.[8]
Community
Controversy
Some gay men still take issue with the term being reclaimed.[3] While some understand when it's being used in a way that is reclaimed, they may still feel a sense of fear from the word. This is why it is important to not use the term for someone else unless they have said it is okay.[2]
Subterms
| Label | Flag | Description | Coiner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genderfag |  [9]
|
When one's gender identity is inherently connected to the fag identity. | jothfriend[9] |
| Girlfag |  [10]
|
A woman or woman-aligned individual who reclaims the term fag. | caeliangel[10] |
Related Terms
| Label | Relationship | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Dyke | Counterpart | A pejorative term used primarily against queer women. |
| Tranny | Counterpart | A pejorative term used against transgender individuals. |
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Wheeler, André. “Why I’m Reclaiming the Homophobic Slur I Used to Fear | André Wheeler.” The Guardian, 9 Mar. 2020, www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/09/lgbt-gay-men-slur-homophobia.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Givens, Mike. “The “F-Slur”: Where It Comes from & Its Reclamation.” Gofreddie.com, 2022, www.gofreddie.com/us/magazine/the-f-slur-where-it-comes-from-how-some-are-reclaiming-it.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 “The History, Evolution, and Reclamation of “Faggot” in the Gay Community.” A Jaded Gay, 23 Jan. 2025, www.ajadedgay.com/blog/the-history-evolution-and-reclamation-of-faggot-in-the-gay-community. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Zwicky, Arnold. “The Other F Word.” Stanford, June 2003, web.stanford.edu/~zwicky/the-other-f-word.pdf.
- ↑ Gordon, Lenore. “What Do We Say When We Hear “Faggot”?” Rethinking Schools, rethinkingschools.org/articles/what-do-we-say-when-we-hear-faggot/.
- ↑ Stayer, Amanda. “Can I Say That?” Fusion Magazine, 2025, ohiofusion.com/can-i-say-that/. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.
- ↑ Jotanovic, Dejan. “Why Straight People Shouldn’t Throw around the F-Word.” Www.burnettfoundation.org.nz, www.burnettfoundation.org.nz/articles/culture/why-straight-people-shouldnt-throw-around-the-f-word/.
- ↑ strawberrymalt. “Fag/Faggot Pride Flag!” Tumblr, 2 Dec. 2020, strawberrymalt.tumblr.com/post/636423165983260672. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 arco-pluris. “GENDERFAG FLAG.” Tumblr, 25 Nov. 2020, arco-pluris.tumblr.com/post/635796667778678784/jothfriend-genderfag-flag-hi-so-i-decided-to. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 caeliangel. “Post by @Caeliangel · 6 Images.” Tumblr, 19 Mar. 2024, www.tumblr.com/caeliangel/745406531255812096/%E0%AD%A8%E0%AD%A7-girlfag-boydyke-own-take-my-own-take-on. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.