Popular gay slang

The Most Popular LGBTQ+ Terms in Every State &#; Gay Slang Glossary

Published on: 3/10/23

Periodt. Werk. Queen. While these terms were once used exclusively by LGBTQ+ people as a way to converse in public without outing — or endangering themselves — shows like RuPaul&#;s Drag Race (which is in its 15th season and running) are bringing LGBTQ+ vernacular into the spotlight. So much so, that even phrases like “yas, queen” and “slay” are making their way into the mainstream. With more and more people outside of the LGBTQ+ community adopting this gay slang, it’s worth mentioning where it all began — enter drag queens of paint. Many of the popular terms we use today are thanks to the world of drag, which originated in Harlem, New York, at a time when queenly queens slayed the runaway in spaces predominantly made up of African Americans.

So whether you self-identify as a “cub” (a younger looking “bear” a.k.a. someone who is strong, hairy, and lumberjack-esque) or a “lipstick lesbian” (an ultra-feminine lesbian), the team here at Future Method wanted to open our LGBTQ+ glossary up to

Part of the fun of researching &#;s and &#;s Queer subculture in Recent York City was coming across a wide variety of specialized slang and coded terms that flourished among homosexual men and women of the time. Some of these terms are solely of their time, some have survived into the modern era, albeit often with modified meanings.

Not surprisingly, for a social group that for the most part did not conduct themselves openly in society, a lot of these terms constitute a kind of covert language available only to those &#;in the club&#;. They describe sexual preferences and types, as adequately as particular places and activities important to homosexuals of the time.

Folding these terms into the libretto of &#;Speakeasy &#; The Adventures of John and Jane Allison in the Wonderland&#; was a lot of fun. For the most part the definition of the words should be clear in context. However a little confusion can be fun too, as in this moment, when John Allison eavesdrops on a trio of Gay Florists and Julian Carnation:

FLORIST 1:

You can store 42^nd Street. Give me the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

LGBTQIA+ Slurs and Slang

TermContextual noteTime/Region Referencesace queens term meaning “great queen”. Prison slang for a guy who wears a more “feminine” peer i.e. shaved legs, plucked eyebrows. May be described as part of incarcerated homosexual culture. Should not be lost with the more widely-used term "ace," a shortening of "asexual." See "asexual." UK, USA, s Mosca de Colores – Gay Dictionary alphabet peopleOffensive contemporary term for Queer people, often used by right-wing people reacting to perceived advancements in Diverse people's rights. s- Green's Dictionary of Slang - bathroom queen

bog queen

Gay slang expression for people who frequent general toilets looking for sexual encounters.

Synonyms: Bathsheba (composition between bathroom and Sheba to create a name reminiscent of the Queen of Sheba), Ghost (50s, ghost, because they wander the corridors of the bathroom).

USA, UK Mosca de Colores – Gay Dictionary batting for the other teamA euphemistic group of words indicating that someone (of any gender) is gay. T

Realness, fierceness and throwing shade: what is LGBTQIA+ slang and why is it so important?

These stand for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (although the "Q" can also represent Questioning), Intersex, and Asexual. The plus sign is used to acknowledge the plethora of identities that decline outside these labels. These include terms like pansexual, aromantic, non-binary, bigender, fluid, and androgenous.

A celebration of slang

We’re in a climate now where we yearn to embark on conversations about what inclusion, equity and diversity look enjoy, says Chloe. There needs to be a dialogue around the true spectrum of human identity – whether that be your sexual orientation or phrase, and gender identity. This dictionary is a tool for all of us – whether we recognize as queer or not – to be qualified to dive deeper into these conversations and to gain understanding.

“But, more importantly, this dictionary is a celebration of the diverse language that is used to describe the spectrum of gay and lgbtq+ identity,” says Chloe. &ldqu