What is gay? The term gay, which is generally synonymous with homosexual, is usually applied to a male who is sexually or romantically attracted to persons of the same gender. While the term gay can be applied to female homosexuals, gay tends to be the more preferred term for male homosexuals, with the term lesbian usually used to describe female homosexuals. The word gay is also used to describe something being happy, festive, or fun, but this use of the word is generally considered to be archaic. The gay lifestyle is becoming very much more visible and socially acceptable, and the gay community continues to gain both political and social support, even the right to marry in some states. The gay lifestyle or “scene” is often a bold and flamboyant one, and its population is known to enjoy a healthy social life with numerous friends and lovers. Gay men often enjoy creative sex with numerous partners, and can take great pleasure in exploring sexual options and activities with their partners. Gay sex can involve many activities, including fellatio (oral copulation), anal intercourse, handjobs, mutual masturbation, and “dry humping,” where the men rub their genitals against each other’s buttocks or thighs. Group sex, sometimes called gangbangs, is another popular pastime within the gay community, where several men may be engaged in various sex acts with one another simultaneously. Gay men meet their lovers through the usual means of arranged dates and serendipity, but also through online gay dating sites, bars, nightclubs, and bath houses.