Homo

Homo is a clipped, informal version of the word homosexual. For much of the twentieth century it was used mainly as an insult, hurled at gay men and lesbians as a schoolyard taunt or a slur. Like many words with that history, it has also been picked up and reclaimed by some LGBTQ+ people who use it casually or affectionately among themselves. Context decides everything here. Said with warmth inside the community it can read as playful; aimed at someone from the outside it usually reads as hostile. Because the parent word homosexual now sounds clinical and dated to many people, both terms have largely given way to gay, lesbian, and queer in everyday speech.