Bender

Bender is British and Irish slang for a gay man. It has been current in UK slang since roughly the mid-20th century and is closely tied to the related term "bent," meaning homosexual, which contrasts with "straight." The word has almost always carried a derogatory charge, used as a slur rather than a neutral label, and many people still hear it that way. Some within the community reclaim it playfully, but that reuse is context-dependent and far from universal. Note that "on a bender" is a separate, unrelated phrase meaning a bout of heavy drinking. Because of its offensive history, bender is best understood, not casually adopted, by people outside the community.