What do “uy” mean? The origs of the term “u” to scribe a gay man - LGBTQ Natn

fruit gay term

21 Dec 2024

From “gay” to “poofter” to “fairy” - the words ed by others to fe gay people n say a great al more about them than .

Contents:

WHAT DO “UY” MEAN? THE ORIGS OF THE TERM “U” TO SCRIBE A GAY MAN
HOW A GAY SLUR BEME A LC PART OF MY INTY
WHY IS A GAY PERSON LLED A U?

WHAT DO “UY” MEAN? THE ORIGS OF THE TERM “U” TO SCRIBE A GAY MAN

* fruit gay term *

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.

HOW A GAY SLUR BEME A LC PART OF MY INTY

Ironilly, the term may have origated om the gay muny self.

WHY IS A GAY PERSON LLED A U?

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.

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”.

BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM FRUIT GAY TERM

Show quotatns</tle><g fill-le="evenodd"><path d="M0 0h3v2H0zM4 0h8v2H4zM4 3h6v2H4zM4 6h7v2H4zM4 9h8v2H4zM0 6h3v2H0zM0 9h3v2H0z"></path></g></svg></a></div></div></div><table class="qtable"><tr class="quotatn" id="DjAlA60nQdknuUjW6AAD3i_WRayLGz" data-dat="1894"><td class="date"><time>1894</time></td><td class="flag"><img src="/static/img/flags/" srcset="/static/img/flags/ 1x, /static/img/flags/ 2x" alt="[US]" tle="Uned Stat"></td><td class="quote"><ce><a href="/sourc/10259">Star-Gaz.</a></ce> (Elmira, NY) 15 May 4/3: Yale College Slang [...] We horsed Jon to ath — he is easy u, that man.</td></tr> <tr class="quotatn" id="DjAlA60nQdknuUjW6kgAAD3i_WVY47Jp" data-dat="1896"><td class="date"><time>1896</time></td><td class="flag"><img src="/static/img/flags/" srcset="/static/img/flags/ 1x, /static/img/flags/ 2x" alt="[US]" tle="Uned Stat"></td><td class="quote"><span class="thor">W.C. Gore</span> <ce><a href="/sourc/5409">Stunt Sl.</a></ce> Cohen (1997) 12: <i>u </i>n. 1. One who n be easily ceived. 2. A lenient teacher. 3. An easy urse llege.</td></tr> <tr class="quotatn" id="DjAlA60nQdknuUjW6mAAAD3i_Wb1ml3X" data-dat="1900"><td class="date"><time>1900</time></td><td class="flag"><img src="/static/img/flags/" srcset="/static/img/flags/ 1x, /static/img/flags/ 2x" alt="[US]" tle="Uned Stat"></td><td class="quote"><span class="thor">E.H. Babbt</span> ‘College Words and Phras’ <ce><a href="/sourc/7506">DN</a></ce> II:i 37: <b>u</b>, <i>n</i>. 1. A person easily fluenced. 2. One easy to feat. 3. An stctor whose urse is not exactg.</td></tr> <tr class="quotatn" id="DjAlA60nQdknuUjW6ngAAD3i_We-YLzK" data-dat="1927"><td class="date"><time>1927</time></td><td class="flag"><img src="/static/img/flags/" srcset="/static/img/flags/ 1x, /static/img/flags/ 2x" alt="[US]" tle="Uned Stat"></td><td class="quote"><span class="thor">F.M. Thrasher</span> <ce><a href="/sourc/4456">Gang</a></ce> 267: F—easy mark.</td></tr> <tr class="quotatn" id="DjAlA60nQdknuUjW6o8AAD3i_WiHQ1c7" data-dat="1931"><td class="date"><time>1931</time></td><td class="flag"><img src="/static/img/flags/" srcset="/static/img/flags/ 1x, /static/img/flags/ 2x" alt="[US]" tle="Uned Stat"></td><td class="quote"><span class="thor">Irw</span> <ce><a href="/sourc/2057">Amer. Tramp and Und. Sl.</a></ce> 81: <span class="sc">F</span>.–An ‘easy mark.’.</td></tr> <tr class="quotatn" id="DjAlA60nQdknuUjW6qUAAD3i_WkOb2J3" data-dat="1976"><td class="date"><time>1976</time></td><td class="flag"><img src="/static/img/flags/" srcset="/static/img/flags/ 1x, /static/img/flags/ 2x" alt="[US]" tle="Uned Stat"></td><td class="quote"><span class="thor">E. Thompson</span> <ce><a href="/sourc/4424">Caldo Largo</a></ce> (1980) 60: I don’t know what the hell they let them us hang out here for.</td></tr> <tr class="quotatn" id="DjAlA60nQdknuUjW6rwAAD3i_Wps1CJh" data-dat="1986"><td class="date"><time>1986</time></td><td class="flag"><img src="/static/img/flags/" srcset="/static/img/flags/ 1x, /static/img/flags/ 2x" alt="[US]" tle="Uned Stat"></td><td class="quote"><span class="thor">S. Kg</span> <ce><a href="/sourc/2249">It</a></ce> (1987) 50: The guy was a u, but he wasn’t hurtg anyone.</td></tr> </table></sectn></sectn><sectn class="fn"><p id="sn2"><span class="senseno">2. </span>(<i>also</i> <span class="alt">bowl of u, u-eater</span>) a rog. term for a male homosexual; general e any homosexual; gay e p. one who pays for sex; th <i>nned u</i>, <i>cshed u</i>, a homosexual who do not reveal his sexual proclivy; <i>uette</i> a school-age homosexual.</p><sectn class="quotatns qshown"><div class="timelearea"><div class="qfloatarea" style="display: none;"><div class="qfloat"><table class="qfloattbl"></table></div></div><div class="timelewrap"><div class="tlfirstdate"></div><div class="timele"></div><div class="tllastdate"></div><div class="qtoggle"><a href="#"><svg xmlns=" width="12" height="11"><tle>Show quotatns</tle><g fill-le="evenodd"><path d="M0 0h3v2H0zM4 0h8v2H4zM4 3h6v2H4zM4 6h7v2H4zM4 9h8v2H4zM0 6h3v2H0zM0 9h3v2H0z"></path></g></svg></a></div></div></div><table class="qtable"><tr class="quotatn" id="DjAlA60nQdknuUjW6zUAAD3i_WzTe5hT" data-dat="1900"><td class="date"><time>1900</time></td><td class="flag"><img src="/static/img/flags/" srcset="/static/img/flags/ 1x, /static/img/flags/ 2x" alt="[US]" tle="Uned Stat"></td><td class="quote"><ce><a href="/sourc/7506">DN</a></ce> II 37: <i>F</i>, n. [...] An immoral man.</td></tr> <tr class="quotatn" id="DjAlA60nQdknuUjW600AAD3i_W0yV-bT" data-dat="1927"><td class="date"><time>1927</time></td><td class="flag"><img src="/static/img/flags/" srcset="/static/img/flags/ 1x, /static/img/flags/ 2x" alt="[US]" tle="Uned Stat"></td><td class="quote"><span class="thor">A.J. Rosanoff</span> <ce>Manual of Psychiatry</ce> Katz <ce><a href="/sourc/2172">Gay/Lbian Almanac</a></ce> (1983) 439: <i>F</i>, <i>uer</i>, <i>fairy</i>, a passive homosexual.</td></tr> <tr class="quotatn" id="DjAlA60nQdknuUjW62QAAD3i_W4aS7Cd" data-dat="1928"><td class="date"><time>1928</time></td><td class="flag"><img src="/static/img/flags/" srcset="/static/img/flags/ 1x, /static/img/flags/ 2x" alt="[US]" tle="Uned Stat"></td><td class="quote"><span class="thor">C. Panzram</span> <ce><a href="/sourc/8017">Journal of Murr</a></ce> Gaddis & Long (2002) 71: I thought he mt be a b queer sexually [...] a punk or some kd of u.</td></tr> <tr class="quotatn" id="DjAlA60nQdknuUjW63sAAD3i_W-vgBQ9" data-dat="1932"><td class="date"><time>1932</time></td><td class="flag"><img src="/static/img/flags/" srcset="/static/img/flags/ 1x, /static/img/flags/ 2x" alt="[US]" tle="Uned Stat"></td><td class="quote"><span class="thor">C. McKay</span> <ce><a href="/sourc/2682">Ggertown</a></ce> 39: Izh’t dat u-eater om Cuba you’re after?</td></tr> <tr class="quotatn" id="DjAlA60nQdknuUjW65IAAD3i_XAKFFfq" data-dat="1932"><td class="date"><time>1932</time></td><td class="flag"><img src="/static/img/flags/" srcset="/static/img/flags/ 1x, /static/img/flags/ 2x" alt="[US]" tle="Uned Stat"></td><td class="quote"><span class="thor">‘R. Scully’</span> <ce><a href="/sourc/3962">Srlet Pansy</a></ce> 150: Here one heard u, banana, meat, fish, tomato, cream, dozens of everyday words ed wh double meang.</td></tr> <tr class="quotatn" id="DjAlA60nQdknuUjW66gAAD3i_XFTrb73" data-dat="1949"><td class="date"><time>1949</time></td><td class="flag"><img src="/static/img/flags/" srcset="/static/img/flags/ 1x, /static/img/flags/ 2x" alt="[US]" tle="Uned Stat"></td><td class="quote"><span class="thor">W. Burroughs</span> letter 15 Mar. Harris (1993) 43: Two sufferable us live the back hoe on my new property.</td></tr> <tr class="quotatn" id="DjAlA60nQdknuUjW678AAD3i_XJuTxQw" data-dat="1951"><td class="date"><time>1951</time></td><td class="flag"><img src="/static/img/flags/" srcset="/static/img/flags/ 1x, /static/img/flags/ 2x" alt="[US]" tle="Uned Stat"></td><td class="quote"><span class="thor">Kerouac</span> <ce><a href="/sourc/2209">On the Road (The Orig. Scroll)</a></ce> (2007) 172: California [...] is a land of u and nuts, eher you go nuts or you go u.</td></tr> <tr class="quotatn" id="DjAlA60nQdknuUjW69UAAD3i_XNCoQW7" data-dat="1961"><td class="date"><time>1961</time></td><td class="flag"><img src="/static/img/flags/" srcset="/static/img/flags/ 1x, /static/img/flags/ 2x" alt="[US]" tle="Uned Stat"></td><td class="quote"><span class="thor">H. Ellison</span> ‘High Dice’ <ce><a href="/sourc/7753">Gentleman Junkie</a></ce> 90: What the hell’s gog on there, you a pair of us, or what?</td></tr> <tr class="quotatn" id="DjAlA60nQdknuUjW6-0AAD3i_XTaGqOu" data-dat="1966"><td class="date"><time>1966</time></td><td class="flag"><img src="/static/img/flags/" srcset="/static/img/flags/ 1x, /static/img/flags/ 2x" alt="[US]" tle="Uned Stat"></td><td class="quote"><span class="thor">Trimble</span> <ce><a href="/sourc/4506">5000 Adult Sex Words and Phras</a></ce> 56: <span class="sc">cshed u</span> (Sl.) A male Homosexual who sistently ni his ndn.</td></tr> <tr class="quotatn" id="DjAlA60nQdknuUjW7AQAAD3i_XXNDRYo" data-dat="1971"><td class="date"><time>1971</time></td><td class="flag"><img src="/static/img/flags/" srcset="/static/img/flags/ 1x, /static/img/flags/ 2x" alt="[US]" tle="Uned Stat"></td><td class="quote"><span class="thor">T. Thackrey</span> <ce><a href="/sourc/4404">Thief</a></ce> 348: Hell, they’d have figured me for a u or somethg.</td></tr> <tr class="quotatn" id="DjAlA60nQdknuUjW7BoAAD3i_XZTR6Ih" data-dat="1972"><td class="date"><time>1972</time></td><td class="flag"><img src="/static/img/flags/" srcset="/static/img/flags/ 1x, /static/img/flags/ 2x" alt="[US]" tle="Uned Stat"></td><td class="quote"> (ref. to late 1950s) <span class="thor">B. Rodgers</span> <ce><a href="/sourc/3748">Queens’ Vernacular</a></ce> 48: Homosexual who ni his sexual longgs [...] <b>nned u</b> (late ’50s); [...] <b>cshed u</b> (late ’50s–mid ’60s: bee he is cshed by society’s mor).</td></tr> <tr class="quotatn" id="DjAlA60nQdknuUjW7DEAAD3i_XeA98mX" data-dat="1976"><td class="date"><time>1976</time></td><td class="flag"><img src="/static/img/flags/" class="reta" alt=""></td><td class="quote"><span class="thor">L. Dawson</span> <ce>The Spy Who Came...</ce> 105: A u of a Spanish waer [...] mced [...] He was so queer, he was a lbian.</td></tr> <tr class="quotatn" id="DjAlA60nQdknuUjW7EgAAD3i_Xj08CO_" data-dat="1988"><td class="date"><time>1988</time></td><td class="flag"><img src="/static/img/flags/" srcset="/static/img/flags/ 1x, /static/img/flags/ 2x" alt="[Can]" tle="Canada"></td><td class="quote"><span class="thor">M. Atwood</span> <ce><a href="/sourc/6386">Cat’s Eye</a></ce> (1989) 307: They might thk I’m a u or somethg.</td></tr> <tr class="quotatn" id="DjAlA60nQdknuUjW7F4AAD3i_Xm0a6ih" data-dat="1998"><td class="date"><time>1998</time></td><td class="flag"><img src="/static/img/flags/" srcset="/static/img/flags/ 1x, /static/img/flags/ 2x" alt="[US]" tle="Uned Stat"></td><td class="quote"><span class="thor">K. Anrson</span> <ce><a href="/sourc/10831">Night Dogs</a></ce> 310: ‘Salt and pepper f-faggots, [...] om down the land of … us and nuts’.</td></tr> <tr class="quotatn" id="DjAlA60nQdknuUjW7HUAAD3i_XrbCSEU" data-dat="2001"><td class="date"><time>2001</time></td><td class="flag"><img src="/static/img/flags/" srcset="/static/img/flags/ 1x, /static/img/flags/ 2x" alt="[NZ]" tle="New Zealand"></td><td class="quote"><span class="thor">D. Looser</span> <ce><a href="/sourc/11299">Boobslang</a></ce> [U. Canterbury this] 28/1: <b>bowl of u</b> <i>n</i>. 2 a homosexual.</td></tr> <tr class="quotatn" id="DjAlA60nQdknuUjW7IwAAD3i_XtqXafj" data-dat="2003"><td class="date"><time>2003</time></td><td class="flag"><img src="/static/img/flags/" srcset="/static/img/flags/ 1x, /static/img/flags/ 2x" alt="[US]" tle="Uned Stat"></td><td class="quote"><span class="thor">J. Ellroy</span> ‘Stephanie’ <ce><a href="/sourc/7765">Dtatn: Mue!</a></ce> (2004) 62: F rollers, u teasers, high-school uett.</td></tr> <tr class="quotatn" id="DjAlA60nQdknuUjW7KMAAD3i_Xzq0rPW" data-dat="2008"><td class="date"><time>2008</time></td><td class="flag"><img src="/static/img/flags/" srcset="/static/img/flags/ 1x, /static/img/flags/ 2x" alt="[US]" tle="Uned Stat"></td><td class="quote"><span class="thor">Simon & Burns</span> ‘Bomb the Garn’ <ce><a href="/sourc/5868">Generatn Kill</a></ce> ep. 7 [TV script] This old u tri to cise me.</td></tr> <tr class="quotatn" id="DjAlA60nQdknuUjW7LkAAD3i_X30LnPT" data-dat="2013"><td class="date"><time>2013</time></td><td class="flag"><img src="/static/img/flags/" srcset="/static/img/flags/ 1x, /static/img/flags/ 2x" alt="[US]" tle="Uned Stat"></td><td class="quote"><span class="thor">T. Robson</span> <ce><a href="/sourc/10684">Hard Bounce</a></ce> [ebook] ‘I do so love when you talk like a PBS u’.</td></tr> <tr class="quotatn" id="DjAlA60nQdknuUjW7NAAAD3i_X7ZT0JI" data-dat="2023"><td class="date"><time>2023</time></td><td class="flag"><img src="/static/img/flags/" srcset="/static/img/flags/ 1x, /static/img/flags/ 2x" alt="[UK]" tle="Uned Kgdom"></td><td class="quote"><span class="thor">R. Milward</span> <ce><a href="/sourc/11382">Man-Eatg Typewrer</a></ce> 111: There were plenty of jolly us drogl and kty-heels.</td></tr> </table></sectn></sectn><sectn class="fn"><p id="sn3"><span class="senseno">3. </span>a promiscuo woman.</p><sectn class="quotatns qshown"><div class="timelearea"><div class="qfloatarea" style="display: none;"><div class="qfloat"><table class="qfloattbl"></table></div></div><div class="timelewrap"><div class="tlfirstdate"></div><div class="timele"></div><div class="tllastdate"></div><div class="qtoggle"><a href="#"><svg xmlns=" width="12" height="11"><tle>Show quotatns.