I heard and understood the word “gay” to mean it’s colloquial definition of “dumb/annoying/whatever” long before I knew what homosexuals were or really even what sexuality was in general. I prob heard it in early grade school or so. Long after that (middle school/very early HS maybe? Idk, it’s been a while), I found out it also meant homosexual. It seemed like two separate words that happened to be spelled the same, not the same word used in an offensive or demeaning manner.

Like, 2 different, non-transitive meanings (how right can be either “correct” or “opposite of left”). I never thought “homosexual” when I thought “gay” in the “this is dumb” context. Though now I can see how the meanings and usage originated and converged, I just wasn’t aware of all that as a kid.

They still seem like different words in my head, though I know it’s offensive to some folks, so I don’t use it.