A glossary of mon terms ed wh the lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, genr diverse, tersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) muni.
Contents:
- WHAT DO “UY” MEAN? THE ORIGS OF THE TERM “U” TO SCRIBE A GAY MAN
- WHAT DO “UY” MEAN? THE ORIGS OF THE TERM “U” TO SCRIBE A GAY MAN
WHAT DO “UY” MEAN? THE ORIGS OF THE TERM “U” TO SCRIBE A GAY MAN
"Fy" is a slang term that is ed to scribe someone who belongs to the LGBTQ+ muny, particularly someone who is gay. It is nsired rogatory * fruity meaning lgbt *
Much like the words queen and queer, “u” is a slur that has been hurled agast gay men for s. But over time, gay men have begun to reclaim the word the same way that “queen” and “queer” have bee an nocuo part of our lexin, and today e as a term of enarment rather than a rogatory ment on one’s effemacy and attractn towards other men.
Ironilly, the term may have origated om the gay muny self. Pretty soon, Bra’s gay muny adopted this , transformg to a “vehicle for mpery, bchs, filthy jok, and nuendo”. The word “u” was jt one of many slang words that gay men would throw at each other to poke fun at their effemacy.
The evolutn of this slang was perhaps not unlike that of the Amerin gay lgo that n be traced back to the drag and ballroom culture of the 1980s, where “readg” was, as RuPl says, fundamental.
WHAT DO “UY” MEAN? THE ORIGS OF THE TERM “U” TO SCRIBE A GAY MAN
At the time, homosexualy was nsired viant – a mental illns to be rrected through lobotomi, electroshock treatment, and chemil stratn. Over time, the words “u” and “uke” beme ls of an si joke the gay muny and more of a weapon that straight people uld e to remd gay people of their otherns.
For some olr gay men who lived through this era, the term “u” is as hurtful and offensive as the term “f*ggot”. Soon after, the term beme a popular homophobic slur, meant to rerce the ia that gay men were sexual viants.