CBS News on Logo debuted a new (to me) term. Apparently, a significant number of young lesbians have come up with a new moniker: Gayelle. It's the feminization of gay. Hmmm. The gayelles don't want to be the butt of jokes like their lesbian forebears. Hmmm.

I never thought of lesbians (or gayelles...or whatever) as being particularly fond of feminizations of any masculine terms. Isn't that where the terms womyn and wymyn came from?

Sure enough, Wikipedia lists three terms for the word gayelle. The first is a television station on Trinidad and Tobago, the second is for lesbian and the third, ironically is for cockfighting. Hmmm.

Here is an article from the Daily Telegraph about the new lesbian to gayelle movement:

A GROUP of lesbians who are unhappy with the title have launched a world-wide movement to change the name of their sexuality to "gayelle".

Websites devoted to the change are springing up, with the motivation said to be a "persistent distaste for the word lesbian."

Gayelle, denoting anyone gay and female, is made up of the words "gay" and "elle" meaning "she" in French.

Supporters, who are hoping it takes on world-wide, say the new term is less derogatory than the word lesbian, backers argue, who believe a change of moniker would take the offence out of the term.

"The invention of “gayelle” is with the idea and hope that it will have a worldwide appeal, and ultimately, supersede the word lesbian; a suitable replacement is necessary for positive language and the healthy self-esteem of the gay-female-population," one website states.

"The word lesbian is antiquated; it is not representative of modern times, and or, of persons with modern views. Lesbian does not sound cheerful and fun, nor does it mean merry, like the word gay does; rather, it sounds more like loner, loser, and less. Gay females deserve more, not less.

"Moreover, the word lesbian is so frequently used derogatorily, that to be called a lesbian is almost tantamount to being called an offensive name."

[editors note: of course, the word is "gay" is never used derogatorily.]

The team also argue that gay does not aptly reflect their sexuality as it has become associated specifically with homosexual men.

"By choosing gayelle, the feminine factors in “the equation of who is gay and who is not” can reassert their interest in the word gay, as well as, assert a displeasure for the word lesbian," the website reads.

So what do you think of the new term? Sound off!