Originally Posted by saltwn

Perhaps in certain circles. Beatniks and other sub cultures have been known to use slang that was later absorbed into the main stream.
But I never heard them referred to as "gay" till probably the seventies. It was a new phrase among our crowd anyway.
We were discussing use of the word as opposed to "queer" (which also had other connotations), one day, and I remember my sister's best friend (a homosexual) saying, "There's nothing gay about it. I prefer to be labeled anything but 'gay'."
But that was when not many were out yet. And he was out and life was very difficult for him sometimes.