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Describing the sexual orientation in which a person (especially a man) is attracted to people of the same gender; homosexual.
Mein Bruder ist gay und seit fünf Jahren mit seinem Freund zusammen.
My brother is gay and has been together with his boyfriend for five years.
lame / stupid
A colloquial, often derogatory expression used to describe something as uncool, silly, or bad. Its use can be perceived as offensive.
Ich finde es total gay, dass wir am Wochenende Hausaufgaben machen müssen.
I think it's totally lame that we have to do homework on the weekend.
'Gay' is a direct loanword from English and is pronounced the same way in German. It is especially widespread among the younger generation and in urban settings.
Die Gay-Pride-Parade findet jedes Jahr im Sommer statt.
The Gay Pride parade takes place every summer.
As an adjective, 'gay' in German is used almost exclusively predicatively (after the noun) and is not declined. The form 'ein gayer Mann' (a gay man) is very uncommon and sounds unnatural.
Er hat uns erzählt, dass er gay ist.
He told us that he is gay.
This meaning is purely colloquial and youth slang. Its use can be perceived as derogatory or offensive, even when it refers to a thing and not to a person.
Diese Regelung finde ich echt gay.
I think this rule is really lame.
If 'gay' refers to a person and their sexual orientation, the first meaning is intended. If, however, it refers to a thing, a rule, or a situation, the colloquial negative meaning is intended.
Mein bester Freund ist gay.
My best friend is gay.
gay
Schwul and gay can both refer to the sexual orientation of a man who is attracted to men. Schwul is the established German term and can be used as a personal identity label; gay sounds more international and is particularly suitable in international contexts. Depending on the speaker and context, either word may be appropriate.
In einem internationalen Gespräch bezeichnet sich Daniel als gay und spricht offen über seinen Partner.
In an international conversation, Daniel identifies as gay and speaks openly about his partner.
In Deutschland bezeichnet sich Daniel als schwul und spricht offen über seinen Partner.
In Germany, Daniel identifies as gay and speaks openly about his partner.
