Language plays a significant role in shaping and reshaping queer identities, and this has long fascinated me. As a gay man of a certain age, I’ve witnessed how language has been weaponized against the LGBTQ community but also how it has evolved and been reclaimed over time. Words that once carried harmful connotations are now often turned into expressions of pride or humor within the community.

 

The Polari language is an early example of this. Until 1967, gay sex was illegal in England. To avoid getting arrested, gay men used Polari, a secret language described by the Oxford English Dictionary as "a mix of Italian-style phrases, slang, and street lingo." It first showed up in the 1700s and 1800s, used by travelers, performers, sailors, gay men and others on the edges of society. It experienced a resurgance from the 1930s to the 1960s, especially the time of the second World War when LGBTQ people were interned in Nazi concentration camps.

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I have highlighted three Polari phrases: billy doo which means love letter, bagadga and Betty bracelets which translate to penis and police, respectively.