Theos-Talk Archives (May 1996 Message tl00170)

See my latest comment to Alexis at the end of this posting.  Daniel

>At 02:26 PM 5/3/96 -0400, you wrote:
>>Aleixis writes:
>>
>>>>I'm not the only Gay person on this list
>>>>and I take very strong exception to words like "fag" and "fruitcake"!
>>>
>>
>>I believe it was Keith who used this term and we should ask him what he
>>meant by the term?
>>
>>But in one of my dictionaries [THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY OF THE
>>ENGLISH LANGUAGE, Third edition, "fruitcake" is defined as a cake or a
>>second definition is:
>>
>>"2.  Slang.  A crazy or an eccentric person."
>>
>>Alexis, maybe you are confusing "fruitcake" with the term "fruit" which is
>>defined in the same
>>dictionary as:
>>
>>"7.  Offensive Slang.  Used as a disparaging term for a gay or homosexual
man."
>>
>>Fruitcakes usually have nuts in them and MERRIAM WEBSTER'S COLLEGIATE
>>DICTIONARY,
>>Tenth edition, gives one definition of fruitcake as "nut", ie., "a foolish,
>>eccentric, or crazy
>>person."
>>
>>DHC
>>
>>
>>Dan:
>
>You are obviously not a Gay Man, but forget about the Dictionary...in this
>instance the dictionary is irrelevant. We know what we're called and we have
>long and unhappy experience with a large variety of pejoratives. As I told
>Jim Meier, Franklyn Jones is a Gay man and describing him as a "Fat, Anglo,
>Fruitcake" gives one very strong rounds for suspicion. In this instance,
>your referring to written authority is useless, for only a Gay Man or
>Lesbian is the authority.
>
>alexis
>
>

Alexis,

I lived in Texas the first 22 years of my life.  And during that time (1960s),
the term "fruitcake" was used where I lived to mean a "nut".  The "rednecks"
had other
terms for gay people!

I will ask some gay people in Tucson what their reactions are to this term
"fruitcake."

I have read allegations that Mr. F.J. also had sex with some of his female
disciples.  Does
this make him a bi-sexual?

DHC