Gay gets attracted to same sex people.

[tufguy]

"Gay are those people who get attracted to people who have the same sex as their" or "theirs". What should I be using here "their" or "theirs"?


Please check.

 

[Matthew Wai]

Gays are people attracted to those of the same sex.

 

[tedmc]

Gays are people who are attracted to those of their own sex.

 

[smelvanzq]

theirs

Not a teacher.

 

[Rover_KE]

smelvanzq, your answer to tufguy's question in post #1 is correct, but please read this extract from the forum's posting guidelines:


You are welcome to answer questions posted in the Ask a Teacher forum as long as your suggestions, help, and advice reflect a good understanding of the English language. If you are not a teacher, you will need to state that clearly in your post.

 

[tedmc]

"People who have the same sex as theirs" does not sound natural to me.

 

[Tdol]

People of the same sex sounds more natural to me.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

"Gays are those people who are attracted to people who have the same sex that they have.


Please check.

If you're going to set the sentence up that way (it's very wordy), then do it the way it's corrected above.

If you have to use "their" for some reason, then say: ". . . who are attracted to people of their own sex."

But the other folks are right. There are much more natural ways to say it.

 

[tufguy]

Okay, "gays are those people who get attracted to the people who have the same sex that they have".


"Gays get attracted to those of their own sex".

 

[tedmc]

I think gays are just attracted to males. Lesbians are attracted to females.

 

[Matthew Wai]

Okay, "gays are those people who get attracted to the people who have the same sex that they have".

Why do you use 'get attracted' instead of 'are attracted'?

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I think gays are just attracted to males. Lesbians are attracted to females.

Yes, that's usually how it's used. And Tufguy, that's are attracted, not get attracted.

 

[emsr2d2]

Please be aware that using "gays" sounds/is somewhat derogatory. Use either "gay people" or "homosexuals". In this day and age, it would suffice to say "Some people are attracted to members of the opposite sex and some people are attracted to members of the same sex". There is no real need to use collective nouns.

It is much more usual to use gay/homosexual etc as an adjective rather than a noun.

The same would be true of using "Jews" or "blacks" (for example) - they would sound very offensive to many people.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

An interesting point that had not occurred to me. I think you are right, in BrE at least.

Same in the US. We usually say "gay men," not "gays."

 

[Tdol]

And terms like LGBT people and its expanding variants are becoming more common, though not in this sentence about same-sex attraction.

 

[Barb_D]

My daughter uses "gay" for people of both genders. I think that distinction of "gay" for men and "lesbian" as the only term for women has pretty much disappeared. (Yes, my daughter is gay, and refers to herself that way as an adjective, and as a lesbian as a noun.)

A side note about "Jew" - it's the adjective that is offensive.
This day is important to Jews. -- No problem.
Wasn't she dating that nice boy - that Jewish boy - what was his name? Are they still together? -- No problem.
There aren't very many Jewish football players. -- No problem.
There aren't very many Jew football players. -- That's where the problem is.

 

[tedmc]

LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.

I would have thought that if "G"(gay) covers both male and female genders as others have said, the "L(lesbian)" part should not have been there.

 

[Barb_D]

Usage evolves, tedmc. The distinction is not observed any longer.

 

[emsr2d2]

Some lesbians insist on using the term "lesbian" to differentiate themselves from gay men. Most of the lesbians I know are happy to describe themselves as "gay" but a couple (who are also strident feminists) insist on the term "lesbian" as both an adjective and a noun, when referring to themselves and others.

Usage is definitely evolving but I can't deny that if I said to someone "Yesterday, I went to the cinema with my gay friend", they would probably assume I was talking about a gay man. I should point out that I wouldn't actually say that sentence to anyone because it is of no relevance whatsoever that my friend is gay. He/she is simply my friend.