Kathleen wrote:
>
> Wouldn't be the first time. During the era when they were burning
> "witches", it was also a very bad time to be a homosexual male. At the
> time, "faggot" was slang for kindling - small pieces of wood used to
> start a fire.


The Dictionary of American Slang gives another explanation.
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mfaggot.html


--Lia, not following this thread carefully