Redefinition

[autographedcat]

People on rec.arts.comics.strips have been talking about words and symbols being co-opted, and someone talked about a restaurant called "Gay Dan's" which had an 1890s theme, but which changed its name after the word "gay" became overwhelmingly associated with homosexuality. Someone related this story in response:

> About Gay Dan's Restaurant: I remember reading
> several years ago that a community in California
> decided to change the name of one of its street
> from "Gay Street" to "Screaming Eagle Drive."
> The local gay community then announced that they
> were no longer referring to themselves as "gay"
> but that homosexual men would henceforth be
> called "Screaming Eagles."

Comments

[aiela.livejournal.com]

Over by me we have a street called Van Dyke. The strip mall on the corner of Metro Parkway and Van Dyke was the "Dyke Plaza" for years, and then, for some reason, after years and years, they changed it to something or other.