QUEER WORD
URNING

What it means:

An old German term for what we now call ‘homosexual,’ coined by Karl Heinrich Ulrichs in 1862.

It (problematically, I’m sure you’ll agree) defined a gay man as having a ‘female psyche in a male body’ - or, if you're feeling extra Latin, anima muliebris virili corpore inclusa.

Let's Use It In A Sentence:

Adorned in a neon pink feather boa, cut-off shorts, and smothered in three kilos of glitter, there was no question in Miranda’s mind that Raj was a flaming urning.

A Little Bit of History:

Back in the 19th century, the idea of being gay as an identity didn’t really exist. Same-sex attraction was treated as a sin, a crime, or something to be furiously ignored while sipping weak tea in polite society.

Enter Karl Heinrich Ulrichs.

In 1862, this German writer and early LGBTQ+ rights advocate released a series of pamphlets titled Forschungen über das Rätsel der mannmännlichen Liebe (which poetically translates in to “Research into the Riddle of Male-Male Love”).

Within these texts, Ulrichs coined the term Urning to describe men who were attracted to other men. He based the name on the character Uranian Aphrodite from Plato’s Symposium, symbolising a ‘higher’ love born from male divinity (Uranus), in contrast to the ‘Dioning’ love between men and women, which was born of Aphrodite and Dione.

Sure, it was a bit clunky and relied on gendered binaries that might make us squirm a little today - but at the time, it was radical. Ulrichs wasn’t just trying to explain behaviour; he was arguing for identity and dignity.

And it worked. Sort of.

Just a few years later, in 1869, Karl Maria Kertbeny introduced a new word to the world: homosexual. It was punchier, more scientific-sounding, and easier to slip into conversation (depending on who you were having the conversation with, of course). From there, urning largely faded into the footnotes of history.

So, Should We Bring It Back?

Honestly? It’s got potential. It’s niche, it’s nerdy, it makes you sound like someone who reads Plato for fun - what’s not to love?

And hey, if you want to reclaim it and confuse a few people along the way, more power to you.

FAQ: Okoge and Japanese Gay Slang

What does ‘urning’ mean?

Urning was a 19th-century German term used to describe men who were romantically or sexually attracted to other men. It was coined by Karl Heinrich Ulrichs, who argued that this orientation came from having a “female psyche in a male body.”

Where does the word ‘urning’ come from?

The term originates from Plato’s Symposium, where two types of love are described: Uranian (heavenly) and Dionian (earthly). Ulrichs adapted these ideas into ‘urning’ (men who love men) and ‘dioning’ (men who love women).

Is ‘urning’ still used today?

No, not really. It was largely replaced by the term ‘homosexual’ after 1869. But some queer historians and language nerds like to bring it back for fun (and chaos).

What’s the difference between ‘urning’ and ‘homosexual’?

‘Homosexual’ became the widely accepted scientific and legal term in the late 19th and 20th centuries. ‘Urning’ predates it and has more poetic, classical origins, though it also reflects outdated gender norms.