From Homosexinfo

Sexuality: A Brief Glossary of Homosexual Terminology (gay slang)

This page lists some of the endearing terminology male homosexuals use or have used to refer to their diverse sexual practices.(1-3) Not all terms are currently in vogue. See also the comment following the list.

Comment

Gay slang is not a modern phenomenon. In the 18th century, the molly subculture of London used gay slang, which was a modification of thieves’ speak and slang used by prostitutes.(4) Gay slang was also a part of homosexual subcultures in 16th century Italy and 17th century Portugal, Spain, and France. In the 1730s, Dutch homosexuals talked to each other in what they called op zijn janmeisjes, i.e., “John girlish.”(5) Much earlier, the transgendered priests of the Goddess Cotytto had an “obscene lingo” of their own.(6, 7) In 1950s Britain, the jury presiding over a homosexual trial had to be provided a glossary of queer terms to enable them to understand the testimony they were about to hear.(8) A brief examination of the listings above and history(6, 7) shows that the bulk of gay slang originates within the homosexual community and is used by homosexuals for the purposes of “cultural solidarity,” but not a desire to cope with or undermine straight culture or to convey secret messages.(6, 7) Such facts about gay slang undermine the argument of social constructionists that homosexual culture is determined by the structures and labels imposed upon it by mainstream society.(6, 7) Furthermore, the origin of some gay slang words is unknown to both homosexuals and heterosexuals, i.e., the social constructionist argument that the ruling class uses labels to control minority cultures is not supported by the existence of gay slang words of unknown origin.(6, 7) For instance, xia zhuan, i.e., “intimacy with a brick” is slang for homosexuality in Japanese, and has an unknown origin.(7) Similarly, the origin of “faggot” is obscure; it first appeared in 1914 America, when “fagots,” i.e., “sissies” were described as going to a “drag ball.” Rev. Fred Phelps has noted that just as a fagot is a bundle of sticks that fuels fire, homosexuals fuel the wrath of God, and are appropriately addressed as faggots or fags in short, but this is not what explains the origin of “faggot.” Likewise, it is not clear how “queer” came to be associated with homosexuals.(6, 7)

References

  1. D. Reuben, in Everything you always wanted to know about sex but were afraid to ask. [The author is a physician]. ( St Martins Paperbacks, New York, 1999) pp. 156-179.
  2. B. Rodgers, The queens' vernacular; a gay lexicon (Straight Arrow Books, 1972), pp.
  3. Online gay slang dictionaries: http://www.hurricane.net/~wizard/19.html, http://www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/Stonewall/4219/, http://www.pinkuk.com/interests/slang.asp, http://www.chris-d.net/polari/, http://www.gaymart.com/6fun/slang.html, http://www.aaronsgayinfo.com/Fterms.html, http://www.number-one-adult-sexual-health-terms-advisor.com/queerterms.htm, http://andrejkoymasky.com/lou/dic/dic00.html, http://www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/Heights/5393/dictionary.html.
  4. R. Norton, Mother clap’s molly house: the gay subculture in England 1700-1830 (Gay Men’s Press, London, 1992).
  5. D. J. Noordam, in The pursuit of sodomy: male homosexuality in Renaissance and Enlightenment Europe K. Gerard, G. Hekma, Eds. (Harrington Park Press, New York, 1989) pp. 207-228.
  6. R. Norton. (2002 [http://www.infopt.demon.co.uk/extracts.htm]).
  7. R. Norton, The myth of the modern homosexual: queer history and the search for cultural unity (Continuum Books, 1997).
  8. P. Higgins, Heterosexual dictatorship: male homosexuality in post-war Britain (Fourth Estate, London, 1996).
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