homophile

American  

[hoh-muh-fahyl] / ˈhoʊ məˌfaɪl /

noun

1. a gay person, especially a gay man.

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adjective

1. advocating or supportive of the interests, civil rights, and welfare of gay people.

   a homophile activist organization.

homophile British  

/ ˈhəʊməˌfaɪl, ˈhɒm- /

noun

1. a rare word for homosexual

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Etymology

Origin of homophile

First recorded in 1945–50; homo- + -phile, on the model of homosexual

Example Sentences

“A whole show could be done on Ernestine Eckstein, who was just a brushstroke in Episode 1, but it was important to highlight that those early homophile movements were very white,” Kijak said.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 22, 2020

Their illustrations were non-threatening: the homophile organisations of the 50s were assimilationist; they wanted to be accepted by society.

From The Guardian • Sep. 23, 2018

The early gay-rights movement was called the homophile movement because its founders explicitly rejected the word homosexual; they did not want to be identified as exclusively sexual beings.

From New York Times • Mar. 21, 2014

But who, homophile or homophobe, could resist the winsome Rayon?

From Time • Oct. 31, 2013

Harry Hay, a founder of the 1950s homophile Mattachine Society, demanded to “be respected for our differences not for our sameness to heterosexuals.”

From Slate • Jul. 1, 2012