Polari The Secret Gay Language

Welcome back to Let's Be Perfectly Queer Podcast, your go to LGBT Australian podcast for all things queer.

In this week’s episode of Let’s Be Perfectly Queer Podcast, we dive into Polari, the secret language used by gay men, drag performers, theatre performers and queer communities across Britain before homosexuality was decriminalised.

This hidden language wasn’t just camp fun, it was a tool for safety, identity, and resistance in a world where being queer could land you in prison.

Polari wasn’t just slang, it was survival!

We explore:

Where Polari came from — from theatre slang to sailor speak to criminal cant
How queer people used it to avoid police and persecution
Iconic Polari words (vada, bona, eek, nanti, zhoosh) and what they actually mean
Why queer-coded languages appear in oppressed communities worldwide
Why Polari matters today — and how it keeps resurfacing in pop culture, drag, and queer history

This episode is a fun, campy, heartfelt celebration of queer resilience, language, and the ways LGBTQ+ communities have always found ways to stay connected even in the shadows.

If you’re a history nerd, a linguistics lover, or just fabulosa at heart… this one’s for you.

🎧 Listen in and learn a secret language with us... and until next time, stay perfectly queer!

Links we found useful when creating this episode:

• https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/staff/bakerjp/polari/home.htm
• https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/stories/polari-and-hidden-history-of-gay-seafarers
• https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20180212-polari-the-code-language-gay-men-used-to-survive
• https://www.out.com/media/polari-secret-gay-language-explained-words-list-definitions
• https://lithub.com/the-feints-and-jabs-of-polari-britains-gay-slang/
• https://yourdandi.co.uk/polari-the-secret-gay-language/
• https://wp.lancs.ac.uk/fabulosa/whats-polari/

Transcript

Season 3 Ep 23_Polari The Secret Gay Language

Archie: Welcome to Let's Be Perfectly Queer, 

Katie: a queer podcast, creating space to talk about all things queer. 

Archie: My name is Archie. 

Katie: And I'm Katie. 

Archie: And we are your hosts

Katie: or somewhere in between. Let's be perfectly clear and we're 

Archie: back. We are, and on today's episode we are talking about the secret gay language called 

Katie: Polari. Have you heard about it? 'cause I don't think anyone would've. Maybe people would, I mean, if you're in show business, maybe 

Archie: that is very true. In 

Katie: old theater days gone past, you might have heard about it.

Katie: But it's very cool and it's something that I personally hadn't heard about but was very interested in. And then thought I could learn it. And guess what? I haven't. No. Disappointing guys. Disappointing. But if you do, and if you do pick up anything on this episode, pop it on our Instagram, send us a message and be like, speak to us in Polari and I'll be well impressed even if it probably isn't Polari.

Katie: I will look it up. I'll do my research. 

Archie: But before we get into this episode, we have some new listeners in Poro, I dunno how to say it. P-O-R-I-R-U-A. Pia Wellington region. How would you say that? Is that from New Zealand? Gimme a second. I'm gonna have to have a look. Pua, 

Katie: PUA, Wellington, as in Wellington, New Zealand.

Archie: Yeah. 

Katie: Oh, that's awesome. I 

Archie: think so. 

Katie: Someone tell us how you say that. 

Archie: Yes, someone please, please let us know how you say that. We have new listeners in Dresden Mills, Maine, Washington, Sunderland, and Porterville, Texas. 

Katie: I really hope that's how you say it. 

Archie: I have no idea. I really should, should learn how to say it before I actually say it.

Katie: I think it's beautiful and I think that people can correct us because. They love us, and please do tell us how, tell us where you're from and how to pronounce it, because both of us are neurodivergent and we need a little bit of assistance sometimes. 

Archie: That'd be great. 

Katie: Yeah. 

Archie: Not gonna get into any news today because we're gonna go straight into the Polari, but before we do that, we've just come back from holidays in Japan.

Archie: Mm-hmm. And one thing that I just wanna mention, which I really saw in Japan and which is really, really lovely. Is the freedom of gender expression? 

Katie: Oh, absolutely. 

Archie: You know, just in walking around in the city in Tokyo, a lot of people were wearing things that you typically wouldn't see in all societies and things that were typically might have been reserved for feminine, uh, presenting people in places like Australia or the US or uk.

Archie: We're being worn and being used by men, which I loved. You know, the, even the, the hand baggy kind of things that you wouldn't really see a lot of men in Australia use. All the men in Japan are using that and as well looking at Disney, no one is scared to wear the mini ears with a big bow. Oh yeah. If they aren't female presenting, it does not matter.

Archie: And I really love that about Japan, and that's something that I really noticed and I took away from is the, the freedom of gender expression. And nobody battered an eye and nobody cared. 

Katie: Yeah. I really like the embracing of the androgyny and that. Like you were saying, you don't have to have clothings, don't have the stereotypes that they do around in the Western world.

Katie: It's beautiful and it's actually, there's this childish joy with it, seeing people just embracing and wearing what they wanna wear. I loved that. It's gorgeous. Actually it was a bit envious. I've gotta say. Walking past these people and being like, oh, damn, that style. 

Archie: Yeah. Even Japan, I was, I was a bit more creative with what I was wearing.

Archie: Mm-hmm. Because I knew that nobody would care. Whereas living in somewhere like Perth mm-hmm. People judge based on what you, you look like. 'cause you know you're wearing something a bit different and out there. And so I really love the fact that I could try different outfits and do something that I nev wouldn't necessarily always do here in in Perth.

Katie: That's true. I feel like we always wait for Fringe to come around and then we're like, Ooh, get out your dress. Get out your fancy dress is what I was gonna say. Yeah. But then I was just like, yeah. Anyway, after all that, 

Archie: no way to go with that. After all that, should we just get into today's episode? 

Katie: Let's do it.

Archie: On today's episode, we're going back in time. Have you heard of Polari? 

Katie: No. 

Archie: So if you've ever talked about drag camp or butchers, you actually know some words from Polari. It's a secret language once used predominantly by gay men and drag queens across the uk between the 1920s and the 1960s. 

Katie: I'm so intrigued.

Archie: Yeah. So on this episode, we're unpacking this hidden language and exploring its roots. 

Katie: So is it kind of like, is it egg language or whatever people speak, what's an egg language? I don't know. Or pig Latin. You know how people say. In Australia, it's peak Latin. Yeah. In America it's something else. Or you, uk something else kind of, but 

Archie: that is very, it's a very simple, simplified explanation of what it is.

Katie: I feel personally like attacked. No, 

Archie: I just mean there's a lot more to it. Okay. Okay, 

Katie: cool. I mean, in essence, that was quite a short period of time as well. Like that's 40 years. Mm-hmm. In which the language, I bet somebody was just like, slay and then they're like, it's like Jen Alpha. 

Archie: No, no, no, not at all.

Archie: Okay. Not at all. You're only completely different track. I don't know 

Katie: anything. Tell me about it. 

Archie: So what exactly is Polari? It is spelled P-O-L-A-R-I. So I don't even know if I'm saying that correctly. It is a, an that is a more recent spelling to the language. In the past it was also known by a variety of similar spellings, and I'll put those different spellings into the show notes so that people can have a look at that as well.

Archie: And so it was a gay slang language that became popular in the UK when homosexuality was illegal. So during this time, gay men found secret ways to communicate with each other without anyone else understanding what they were talking about. Ah, it allowed people to communicate without adding themselves, especially in public.

Katie: Right. So it's more like the enigma and a code kind of, 

Archie: yeah. 

Katie: Okay, gotcha. Yeah. 

Archie: It is mainly a collection of words that have come from a variety of sources, including rhyming, slang, back slang, Italian, French lingua franca, American air force slang, drug user slang and can't, which is an even older form of slang used by criminals.

Katie: When you said, can't, I can't, 

Archie: you can't. You can't, can't. 

Katie: I literally was just like, do you mean No, 

Archie: it's just CANT. But I didn't think it's, I don't think it's can't, unless it's can't. I just thought can't, would sound better. Who knows? 

Katie: Oh, you're so like, 

Archie: I could be completely wrong. 

Katie: I'm being like fancy, but I couldn't remember the word fancy, so I was just like, hoy toing my shoulders, you know?

Archie: Yeah, sure. But it is most strongly linked to an older form of slang called pari that was used by traveling entertainers, beggars, and market store holders. Mm. And according to Paul Baker of Lancaster University, there are approximately 500 terms and words in Polari. Most people who spoke the language didn't know all of them themselves.

Katie: Oh wow. Okay. 

Archie: And because it was a secret and informal form of communication, it was not written down or recorded anywhere. 

Katie: Yeah, 

Archie: because no one really owned the language. There were minimal standards to the language as well, which meant there's also very little agreement on, on the how things were spelt.

Archie: Pronunciations or even meanings of the many of the words. And so I did find it a little bit hard when I was researching and when I'd find a polari word and then there'd be three or four different explanations for the same word of what it meant. So when I've, I've got a list later on, but I've kind of collated what the majority of them kind of said.

Archie: That's the meaning of that polari word, if that makes sense. 

Katie: Other words, is there like certain themes to the words? 

Archie: Yes and no. Okay. 

Katie: I'm intrigued. I 

Archie: I didn't find all 500. So maybe there is some words were spoken as if they were spelled backwards, like eaf, which, uh, is for face. Although to make it more complicated, IAF was shortened to Eek, which is EKE or Eek in EEK.

Archie: So. It was cheeky camp theatrical and a lifeline in times of criminalization. But you can see why I had a hard time trying to escalate some of the stuff when it was, if the people who spoke the language have very little agreement on the spellings and meanings, then you know, it can get quite misconstrued and confus, you know, kinda like 

Katie: in the UK they have the rhyming slang.

Archie: Yeah, well that's what it is. Rumms thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 

Katie: yeah, yeah, yeah. That's why I was like, it sounds like the cockney rhyming slang where it's like one word. And then it goes into another word, and then that word's shortened, and then that's what it means at the end of the day. 

Archie: Possibly. They did say that the rhyming slang had some influence on polari itself.

Archie: So great. I love the 

Katie: cockney language. 

Archie: Some speakers developed new words in their own social groups or ad-libbed it to make it even more difficult to understand. For some, it was just a collection of a few slang words, but for those who were very good at it, it actually resembled a proper language. And in 2010, Cambridge University labeled Polari as an endangered language.

Archie: So here's an example how Bonna, Truvada your dolly, old Eck, what do you think that could roughly translate to 

Katie: how beautiful your face is? 

Archie: Close. Uh, you're actually a lot be, you did a lot better than I thought you were going to. This could be completely honest. I've heard you try to learn languages. 

Katie: Excuse me.

Katie: I'm very good. I don't know any other languages apart from English. I've tried very hard on many languages, but anyway, 

Archie: so the translation is nice to see your pretty old face. 

Katie: Yeah. Because Bonnie is, Bon is beautiful. Bon yeah. Like, but it would've been Bonna as, uh, Shawn by Bonnie, and that's pretty and Scottish.

Katie: Mm-hmm. 

Archie: Bonita is like pretty in like Spanish, is it? I think it's like, yeah, Bonita, I think. I think so. Italian. Like some one of those languages. Yeah. 

Katie: That just reminds me of like I feel Bonita. Yeah. 

Archie: This is, the quote was actually taken from a popular radio comedy program in the 1960s called Round the Horn, which featured a pair of camp characters called Julian and Sandy.

Archie: And they were played by Hugh Paddock and Kenneth Williams. 

Katie: So that could have been us. 

Archie: It could have been us. 

Katie: We could be doing this. We need to bring the language back. The only problem is we would alienate everybody because nobody knows the language, but it would bring it back from being endangered.

Archie: That's true. So who used it? It was mainly used by gay men and drag queens, but was also used by lesbians, theater people, sex workers, and sea queens. So Sea Queens were gay men in the merchant Navy. 

Katie: Oh, thank you. 

Archie: Yeah, I could see your face. You're like, 

Katie: I was like, what? This sounds like a majestic creature.

Katie: Yeah. 

Archie: How great. What a great name. Heterosexual people who were also connected to the theater also used it, and there are numerous cases of gay men teaching it to their straight friends. It is still used in a more limited way in theatrical circles or among older gay. 

Katie: Have you ever heard of any of the words?

Archie: Yes. 

Katie: Oh, really? 

Archie: And we're gonna, yeah. Can't 

Katie: wait. 

Archie: Well, we, we already heard some of 'em at the start. 

Katie: Yeah. Uh, that was like, what, like five words. Come on now. 

Archie: It has even been in a John per we episode of Dr. Who, the Carnival of Monsters. 

Katie: Really? 

Archie: Yeah. Apparently. 

Katie: I'm gonna have to go back and watch that. 

Archie: I knew you were, I knew you were gonna say that as soon as I, as soon as I read that and found that information, I was like, oh, Katie's gonna wanna go back and watch that and work that out for herself.

Katie: I just, I love Dr. Who so much. Mm-hmm. And I fucking love that because the Lauren, Dr. Who is so long Yeah. And so creative. But I also love how inclusive Dr. Who is. Yeah. Generally. And I love the fact that like, because they've got many writers, I love the fact that one of their writers, like, you know what? We are using this language, bloody brilliant.

Archie: So where did it originate? As mentioned briefly before, Polari didn't just pop out of nowhere. It's believed to have evolved from Paari, uh, kind of can slang used among traveling entertainers, fairground workers, sailors and sex workers groups who often lived on the fringes of society. As queer folks often worked in these spaces, the theater, cabarets, et cetera, they adopted and adapted the language.

Archie: Words were swapped, twisted and repurposed, and polari became a way to spot your people without getting spotted by authorities. 

Katie: Oh, I love that so much. 

Archie: Yeah. It was mainly used in the 1920s and 1960s and generally in places where gay men worked or congregated Homosexuality was criminalized in Britain until 1967, and Polari was a way to stay safe and be openly queer at the time.

Archie: It was especially big in London. You've got a lot of the theaters there in London and you've got the Chorus Boys and the West End and all that kind of thing. And you had sex workers around Piccadilly and performers in the East end. So it definitely was a, a larger place where the language congregated and uh, you could even hear it whispered in the underground apparently.

Katie: Oh, wow. 

Archie: So the secrets saying it was a way for queer people to chat safely in public, like the underground and outsiders who were listening in wouldn't really be able to catch on. They might think it's some different language and so on. Sometimes it was the only way to name things that didn't even exist in mainstream language, especially when it came to sex identity and queer life.

Archie: It wasn't just about safety, though. It was playful, cheeky, and full of camp humor. You could gossip, flirt, or even cruise all while under the radar. It also helped people feel like they belonged, like they were part of this hidden queer world, and also a way of initiating people into the gay or theater subculture.

Archie: So backstage dancers were called opers, and singers were called Vache. Another popular place to have heard it would be in the cabins of the crew of glamorous cruise liners, laies on the water, which I'm not sure what that meant, but I think it was like that's what they called themselves, maybe. Hmm. In the fifties and sixties, many gay men joined the merchant Navy as stewards or waiters.

Archie: For many, it was a way to escape the oppression, harsh reality of life. Back home. On board, they found freedom and they could camp it up, put on drag shows and just be themselves. They called each other girls or queens and gave each other camp names like the Black Widows Scotch Flow or Lana Turner.

Archie: Sometimes the names are a bit cheeky with just enough SAS to keep people in their place, and it wasn't unusual for some of them to have flings with the butch straight blokes on board. By the 1960s, Polaris started making a comeback, a group called The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Have you ever heard of them?

Katie: No. But what a great name. 

Archie: So think fabulous male nuns in full drag. 

Katie: Oh, yes. 

Archie: So they began using Polari in their ceremonies. The sisters are more than just camp. They're a political group known for their charitable protest and street performance movement that used drag and religious imagery. As time went on, people started rediscovering polari, not just in queer circles, but in academia too.

Archie: One researcher made it the focus of his PhD In the late nineties, everyone's polari vocabulary was a bit different, but there were about 20 core words that almost everyone knew out of the roughly 500 things like Naf, Bonna, and Vata. But beyond that, there was a much bigger fringe set of words, and most people only picked up a handful of those.

Archie: It really depended on where you lived, who you hung out with, and how deep you were in the scene. Polari wasn't a fixed language. It was constantly shifting, playful and personal. You ready to look at some of those words? 

Katie: Yes. I can't wait. 

Archie: I'm gonna break down some of the words and I wanna see how many you have heard of before and what you think the definition is.

Archie: Okay. Are you ready? Yes. Bonna. 

Katie: Bonna. So Bonna would be beautiful. Good, 

Archie: attractive, beautiful. Yeah. That all fits in. Vata. 

Katie: You said that was like singer or something? 

Archie: No, that was vce. 

Katie: Oh, Vata. Ada, I feel like that's woman. 

Archie: It's to look at, 

Katie: oh 

Archie: yeah, so it's from Italian Guar, Gure. Guar. G-U-A-R-D-A-R-E. Okay. Eke 

Katie: face.

Archie: Yep. From cochlea, rhyming slang. 

Katie: Yeah. 

Archie: Uh, latty 

Katie: like a boy. 

Archie: See, that's what I thought. But no, it's actually house or room. 

Katie: Oh, 

Archie: so maybe like house on the water. Maybe that's where Lati. Lati on the water. So 

Katie: interesting. On the 

Archie: water. Omi, OMI. 

Katie: OMI. Somehow, I feel like there's an older woman, but that would not make any sense.

Archie: It's men. 

Katie: Oh, okay. 

Archie: How about trade? 

Katie: Trade? That just sounds like your job, but I. I don't know. 

Archie: A sexual partner, 

Katie: as in like how, I 

Archie: don't know. 

Katie: Is that a, is that a verb? Is that a noun? I dunno. I, I was so confused. I'm literally like, okay, I, at the beginning of this episode, I'm like, great new language. We'll learn it together.

Katie: It'll be grand. And now I'm like, I don't understand. 

Archie: What about Ria? RIAH? 

Katie: No idea. 

Archie: What does it spell backwards? 

Katie: I don't even remember the letters you told me. 

Archie: RIAH. So if you write that down and look at it backwards, 

Katie: RIAH. Oh, it's fucking hair. 

Archie: What about ush? 

Katie: Like 

Archie: Z? Yeah. Ush. 

Katie: Yeah. You're just zing something else up.

Archie: Yeah. To style a fluff up. 

Katie: Yeah. Have you ever seen how Z is spelt 

Archie: Yeah, I've got it right in front of me. 

Katie: Oh yeah. Fair. Anyway, it's, I've never seen it spelt before. 'cause I like, yeah. I've, you know how you think, oh, I'll just my hair up a little bit. Mm-hmm. I'm not sure Americans. Americans, do you have this word as well to Z?

Katie: Well, they have 

Archie: to 'cause it. It's been on queer eye. 

Katie: Yeah. But maybe it's another thing. I wonder if people, people who aren't in the creative fields, whether they know the word ZI count hairdressers as creative fields. Yeah. I don't, I don't know. I saw the word Z and I'm like, I never would have, I mean, it makes sense to spell it like that.

Katie: I also wonder, because we talk about this being very UK based. Yes. And I understand because you had the West End and there's a lot of theater and. I wonder if this translated across to America because it's based in the UK around the West end. A lot of people would've traveled, like even in that time you still have creatives traveling between different countries.

Katie: So I wonder, even though this sounds very based in the uk, I wonder if some of this translated across to America 

Archie: maybe a little bit. Some of these words are a bit more that what we'd use here in Australia, which makes sense because of our massive UK influence. 

Katie: What do you mean by that? 

Archie: So looking at some of these words, we use them in Australia.

Katie: Which words? 

Archie: I will, we'll get to them. Oh, so we haven't used all of them yet, but you know, like nf, we've used NF before. What 

Katie: does NF mean? 

Archie: Oh, I miss nf. Tacky. Uncool. Tasteless. Now that's a bit nf. Have you never used that before? 

Katie: I've never used it. And I thought that only really came around recently. 

Archie: No, we, I've been using it for years 

Katie: as in like.

Katie: When you grew up or when you came down to Perth? 

Archie: No. Grew up. Yeah, that's a bit enough. 

Katie: I see how, I don't know. I'd never really heard of that. Could 

Archie: be, 'cause we did have a few teachers who were British. 

Katie: Yeah. 

Archie: And they did come from the theater scene and that kinda stuff. So that might have played an influence on it.

Katie: I think I've probably heard it when we've had our friends who are from the UK 

Archie: possibly. And that's probably why I knew it because I had a, a drama teacher from the UK and he used that kind of language. Yeah. That very theatrical. Uh, language. So yeah, I always knew about naf. 

Katie: Okay. Yeah. All right. Tell me some other words.

Archie: Camp. 

Katie: Yeah, I mean, camp is just a general word, isn't it? 

Archie: But it came from Polari. Ah, so you know what camp means? It is effeminate, outrageous. Flamboyant or exaggerated. 

Katie: Again, a very actual queer UK word as well. Yeah. Yeah. 

Archie: Uh, slap 

Katie: to slap a face on. 

Archie: So makeup. 

Katie: Yeah. Yeah. 

Archie: Drag. Oh yeah. So clothing that is usually not what you're expected to wear.

Archie: Yep. Uh, fruit. When used for a term for a gay man. 

Katie: Ah, it's, yeah. 'cause we use fruity. It was, I mean, it's derogatory now, but people used to call be called Fruity. Yeah. So it 

Archie: refers to a feminine guy. 

Katie: It's so funny 'cause if you actually think about someone being called fruity, I'm like, what? Like an orange?

Katie: Like what is, what is 

Archie: Yeah. It doesn't really make sense. 

Katie: Yeah. 

Archie: Uh, Lally 

Katie: or like a do lally. 

Archie: A doula. What's a doula? Well, 

Katie: like a, it being silly is like a dolly. It's 

Archie: actually a leg. Oh, the Dilly. 

Katie: The dilly penis? 

Archie: Yes. No Bigger Dilly Circus. A popular hangout for male sex workers in London. 

Katie: Oh, 

Archie: the phrase 

Katie: police.

Archie: I can see where you got that from, but it, it's meanings beware is derived from the French, the where? The water. So it's like, yeah. Kind of like, be careful. Yeah. Um, 

Katie: did you know that the Garda, is it in Wales or is it in Ireland? Is what I think it's in Wales, is what they call the police. 

Archie: Oh. So then that would make sense.

Archie: Yeah. Ajax or Ajax, 

Katie: I'm just like spray and wipe. Yeah. No, that's what I thought. 

Archie: For those who don't know who's listening, uh, it's Ajax Spray and Wipe is one of our like sprays queen products. It's a, it's a brand for one of our cleaning products here. 

Katie: And I literally am just like the, the theme is in my head now, 

Archie: means next to Bevy.

Archie: That's a very thing. Be 

Katie: Gino. 

Archie: Yeah. Bevy. So it's a drink. That's what we use in Australia. Butch, I mean, 

Katie: that's somebody who's a 

Archie: masculine lesbian. Yep. BMQ, 

Katie: I don't know. 

Archie: Black Market Queen, which is a closeted gay man. Especially in the merchant Navy. 

Katie: Oh, black market. I love that. A black market queen. 

Archie: Yeah. BMQ.

Katie: Yeah. 

Archie: Uh, dish. 

Katie: Oh, someone who's really hot. 

Archie: An anus or a bum, what? The And tb, I still 

Katie: have gone past dish.

Archie: What? There's a lot I couldn't say on the podcast, so I had to cut a lot out 

Katie: because it's not a full wheel, it's just a dish. 

Archie: Uh, TBH, to be honest, it's actually to be had. 

Katie: Oh, like sexually? 

Archie: Yeah. 'cause remember a lot of this was a lot of the stuff that was able to talk about things that 

Katie: can't bring your dish over here.

Archie: Uh, anyway. Anyway, yeah, so that's some of the words. 'cause there are 500 and those are the ones that I was like, oh yeah, these ones I can say on the podcast. And some of them they were just really did not make sense to me. And so I wasn't really a hundred percent sure about sharing that because I wasn't sure about the validity.

Archie: Where these ones did come up a few times where some other ones only came up one or twice. So you okay? Yes. You're not gonna get over dish, are you? No. So next time we're at at dinner with friends, you're like, Hey, do you want me to pass? Do you wanna pass me your dish? 

Katie: It's. Whew. And I'll just be like, Hey, do you know Polari?

Katie: And they'll be like, no. And I'll be like, keep that to yourself then. Alright. But what happened to Polari? 

Archie: Well 

Katie: evident. It got too confusing when you went out to restaurants. It wasn't that funny. It's the fact that it was nothing. Not even that it was, and you just said it. Soly. I'm good. I'm good. We're back.

Archie: Good. So when homosexuality was decriminalized in 1967, queer people didn't need to rely on secret speech as much anymore. Some saw it as a, as a part of a pastime field with shame and secrecy. Others just stopped using it. As mainstream. Society opened up and caught up. In early 1970s, the gay liberation movement wanted to break away from camp stereotypes and polari.

Archie: With all its flamboyant and innuendo started to feel outdated. It was also a very British thing. As American culture began to influence the UK queer scene more in the seventies and eighties, Polari became less used and some younger generations actually found it outdated and classist. Uh, so by the 1980s it was mostly fading out.

Archie: There were a few words stuck around. Even today, people are divided on it. Some see it as silly or too feminine. Others think it should be revived and celebrated, and some feel it's a fascinating part of queer history worth remembering, but not necessarily something we need to bring back into our everyday use.

Katie: Yeah, there's such interesting takes on it. How do you feel? 

Archie: I don't really feel. Much of it. I'm like, it's a language and if people wanna bring it back for the, for themselves they can. Mm-hmm. Like, I probably wouldn't use it. But if people wanna do it, and especially in places like the UK and America right now, if they would feel safer by using Polari, then go for it.

Archie: But, uh, you know, I think it all depends on the circumstances where people are situated, et. 

Katie: I agree with you. I think it has a place in the world and there will always be times where people need to use, need to be secret about themselves. Unfortunately, it just so happens that we are in this time again for queer people.

Katie: Yeah. And that if this perpetuates communication and community, I think that that's really beautiful. 

Archie: Yeah. 

Katie: And plus it's just kind of funny and silly and jovial and as long as it's not meant in like, you know how when you are kids and someone learns pig Latin, it's very say pig 

Archie: Latin. Yeah. 

Katie: And it's very exclusionary because you're like, I can learn this with my friends.

Katie: You don't know this. Yeah. As long as it's not meant in that way. Yeah. Which I don't think it. Well, 

Archie: that's not how it, it was created. It's not the basis or, or origin of the language. And 

Katie: I think there's definitely a place for that. And I think it's beautiful and it's jovial and it's very like, it's very witty and UK based and I just, I think it's funny.

Katie: I really like it. 

Archie: But is it still used now? Yeah. Not really. Uh, since the 1980s, Polari hasn't exactly made a full comeback, but it's definitely popped up here and there. You can hear it in films like Love is The Devil and Velvet Goldmine. Or in music like Morrissey's, Piccadilly, pare, some gay owned businesses have even named themselves after Polari words like Bonna Orvada.

Archie: There was even an online magazine called Polari and a coffee shop called the Polari Lounge. Some older or middle aged gay men have kept using it privately, especially in close knit circles or specific clubs. It's also shown up in art exhibits, theater revivals, academic research, even, uh, literary salon in London named Polari, where queer authors share their work.

Archie: Hmm. The language never really came back like it did in the 1920s and 1960s, but it's more people have found an interest in learning about the secret gay language and they wanted to find out more about it, but they're not speaking it every day. 

Katie: Yeah. I mean, I guess that's the thing at the moment, is that we are looking more into queer history.

Archie: Yeah. 

Katie: Aren't we? 

Archie: Yeah. And 

Katie: seeing what's happened and what we can learn and how we can empower ourselves from our history. And this has just come up as one of the things, isn't it? Yeah. 

Archie: And as we keep pushing for queer rights around the world, revisiting languages like Polari is a way to stay connected to our roots and understand our history.

Archie: And it's a reminder that we've always found ways to survive and to thrive, even when the world tries to silence us. 

Katie: Absolutely 

Archie: Ada that bonna palone with the RIA and get that dish over here, which means check out that stylish girl with the fabulous hair. Alright, OMI and Pones and everyone outside and in between.

Archie: That's all for today's episode on Polari, the Secret Gay Language. I'll put a whole bunch of links and resources in the show notes if you would like to go into a deep dive of the language. And, um, yeah, hope you had fun and, and you enjoyed this episode. 

Katie: If you're listening on Spotify or like Instagram or anything, I'm sure we'll have something else up.

Katie: Pop what your favorite Polari word was. 'cause I know mine and I would love to hear. It's gonna stay. Do you know when you're, you're naughty in school and like the, you only absorb things that make that make you laugh. Yeah. This is the one thing I've gotten. I'm so sorry. It's okay. It was a great episode, but really I'm like, this is what I've learned.

Katie: It's 

Archie: fine. I, I went through all the history and all you remember is Dish. 

Katie: I'm a 12-year-old 

Archie: boy, apparently. Yeah, apparently. So, yeah. Thank you for listening and getting all the way to the end of the episode. And if you did like this episode. 

Katie: Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe and if you are love us, or even if you just enjoy this episode, give us a five star rating.

Katie: We really just wanna get out there to more people, especially with how the world is at the moment. We just wanna share a little bit of joy. 

Archie: Yeah, and I hope you had fun with us and let some polar, and until next time, I hope that we have been 

Katie: perfectly queer.

Archie: Let's be perfectly. 

Katie: Dish.