Re Icons - it occurs that in days of yore religion was far more ubiquitous/omnipresent than today. It seems to me that - generally- words have turned to their most basic definitions. Icon is any image rather than a hold image.
Re Gay : In my salad days -the 1930s and '40s- mmeant merry, happy without a care in the world. I recall hearing or reading the word homosexual when I was in early teens and could not find it in any dictionary in my Dad's extensive library!
Observation : The union of two females as life partners was called a "Boston Marriage" Male partners or never-married men past age 40 were "confirmed bachelors." The males were always sought out to "fill the numbers" at dinner parties etc. Ye gods how times change in a half century!!!