Every word we speak has a history, but the meanings behind our lavender lexicon are particularly interesting. From 1920s slang about sex workers to former slaves having drag balls in the 1880s, the queer words we use have a rich history that is worth delving into, especially during LGBTQ History Month. #1. Drag. RuPaul has said that DRAG dates to Shakespearian times and stands for "Dressed Resembling a Girl," but there is no evidence for that. It actually seems like the word drag first appeared in reference to male actors’ petticoats when they played women in plays in the mid-19th century. The first man known to use this word in the sense we know it as today was William Dorsey Swann, who called himself a “queen of drag” in the 1880s. #2. Camp. In 1671, French playwright Molière introduced the term se camper, a French verb meaning to pose in an exaggerated fashion. However, it may not have been the French se camper but instead the Italian campare (to make something stand out) that gave us “camp.” #3. Twink. Twinkies are small, smooth, cream-filled snacks that are not nutritious but are fun in the moment — and may (offensively) be what inspired the slang term “twink” to refer to guys who are also, well, small and smooth. It’s also possible that the 1920s British slang word “twank” evolved into twink. “Twank” referred to a client of gay male prostitutes or “a man willing and ready to become any dominant man’s ‘partner.’” These are just a few examples of where our slang comes from. We recommend looking into the sources for some of your favorite terms.
Here’s The History Of Every Day Queer Words That Will Surprise You
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