Gay is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term was originally used to refer to feelings of being "carefree", "happy", or "bright and showy".
Gay originally used to refer to feelings of being "carefree", "happy", or "bright and showy", but since the 1960s (by reappropriation) has most commonly referred to a male (and later also a female) whose sexual orientation is attraction to persons of the same sex.