The notion that the term "faggot" originates with the English, faggot, a bundle of sticks is likely. However, the word is not associated with burning homosexuals alive at the stake. The term does denote various sized and kinds of bundles of sticks, and these were standardized in 1474 by ordinance.* Alternatively the word has been used to describe a cigarette (British), and a kind of sausage meatball, also British.
The first recorded use of faggot or fag to denote a homosexual man in the USA took place in 1914, and, common use of the term faggot and the shortened version, fag to denote homosexual men and women is found by 1921. These terns are extremely pejorative though by the late 1970’s the LGBT community was actively reacquiring such derogatory terms to be used in a positive prideful manor. Fag and faggot have gradually fallen out of use. Instead, the (pejorative) “that's so gay” became more common during the 1980's. Cultural and social processes have gradually removed the stigma attached to "gay" as well. In the second decade of the 21st Century "gay" is understood as a more positive way of referring to homosexual men and/or women.
In this mixed media distressed painting I was expressing these historical aspects, cultural and social trends. The painting includes references to the centuries old “Fag” family name, to faggot, a bundle of sticks, and to cigarette as fag. It contains images of late 19th century and early 20th century sepia photos of male couples, as well as text about the word and its various significations buried in the layers of paint.*1 The text in the double page spread is different from and more detailed than the text in this blog.
Notes
*Link to details about these measurements
*1 I obtained many of the sepia images from the Website, Homo History and kept a careful log and record of these.
