Even with all we know, it's entirely possible that gay has always been a codeword for homosexual. Since the Romans, homosexuality has been considered a sin and carefully airbrushed out of history (along with eunuchs) as they spread their particular brand of the religion through Europe.

It wouldn't take much of a stretch of the imagination to believe that Gaius, has always doubled up as a codeword for being homosexual for a long time (much longer than a few hundred years). But that literature which used it, as Krister mentioned has had the "political wolves" over it to try and re-write it, or in some way re-interpret what was meant.

One of the oldest instances being Matthew 19:10, which some Christians believed is Jesus saying it's okay to be gay. (Though I prefer to see this passage as justifying the existance of eunuchs - also erased from memory.)

If anyone has any specific quotes from the text mentioned it would help us backup this point of view!

Okay, so I know we're well off the topic of "Fenders" (for just a moment longer), but you can search all middle-english textbooks at the University of Virginia's online electronic library (http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/collectio ... ision=div1)

(you will need to use the public access link (unless you're a student there!)

The earliest public reference to the word "gay" I could find in their library was William Langland: "The Vision of Piers Plowman" 1377-1379

Though Geoffrey Chaucer mentions "gay" a lot of times in The Canterbury Tails a little later (1387-1394)

Of course, I'm going to show my MTV, internet-related ignorance now because I can't really follow the middle english. Here is a passage from Confessio amantis:

For whanne I wolde with hire glade,

And of hire love songes make,

Sche saide it was noght for hir sake,

And liste noght my songes hiere

Ne witen what the wordes were.

So forto speke of myn arrai,

Yit couthe I nevere be so gay

Ne so wel make a songe of love,

Wherof I myhte ben above

And have encheson to be glad;

Bot rathere I am ofte adrad

For sorwe that sche seith me nay.

And natheles I wol noght say,

That I nam gl

But I suspect to go any earlier, you will need to start searching for "Gai" or "Gaius" or something. I suspect it changes with time and culture.

e.g.:

Layamon, fl.1200: Brut (MS Cotton Caligula) (1205)

of Bittunie Pollidices; of Iturie þe king Sexes.

Ofustesar king of Aufrike; nes þer na king his ilike.

mid him com moni Aufrican; of Ethiope he brohte þa bleomen.

Þa seolue Romleoden; liðen heom to-somne.

þat weoren at nexte; of Rome þa hexte.

Marces Lucas and Catel. Cocta Gaius & Metel.

þis weoren þa sixe; þe þat senaht al biwusten.

Þa þis folc isomned wes; of feole cunne londes.

þa sette þe kaisere; arimen al þæne here.

Þa weoren þer riht italde; to fihte swi[ð]e balde.

feouwer

Tehee "Cocta Gaius". Maybe the name of that character is a code?