Most people avoid the word because of its association with a life choice. And yes, the avoidance is politically motivated. The last time I heard anyone use it publicly was in a song in the '70s, and I'm not sure you could get by with playing it these days without having your head severed in the public square. You'll notice that the forum software covered the word. We aren't terribly politically correct but we do try to keep the forum's head down in Internet searches to avoid external controversy and keep the place a calm place. No problem asking your question, though.
Bob