Fag

Fag is the shortened form of "faggot," a slur used in English against gay men and sometimes against other LGBTQ people. The pejorative use is first recorded in a 1914 slang dictionary, with the clipped "fag" appearing by the early 1920s. For much of the twentieth century it was one of the most cutting homophobic insults. Beginning especially in the 1980s and through groups like Queer Nation, many gay men reclaimed it, turning a term of abuse into one of affection, defiance, and humor used among themselves. The word still wounds when used by outsiders or with hostile intent, so its reclamation stays context-dependent and personal. Whether it is welcome depends entirely on who is speaking and to whom.