Lanuage and Sexuality

Question 1

Amelioration

Answer 1

Negative to positive
E.g.
Queer (bullying to men) now positive

Gay (happy) =negative (joke) but now = positive (society is more accepting)

Question 2

Pejoration

Answer 2

Positive to negative
E.g.
Queen(positive) = negative (overused)

Gay positive =negative = positive

Question 3

Reappropriation

Answer 3

a word that was at one time pejorative but has been brought back into acceptable usage due to oppression

E.g. History of social attitudes towards gay and lesbian couples
Queer which was insulting is now neutral in contexts

Question 4

Gender neutral pronouns

Answer 4

Mx = mixter

Question 5

Lavender language

Answer 5

Used by gay, lesbian and bisexual people

Modern adaptation of Polari

Plays on words 
Double meanings
Acronyms 
Usually focused on appearance 
Sexual practises

Question 6

Lakeoff

Answer 6

Gay men use trails of female language

E.g. They use tag questions

Reinforces stereotypes that all gay men talk in an affectionate feminine way when this is not the case

Question 7

Polari 19th century

Answer 7

• Associated with gay men
• Well known in London, west end performers and male prostitutes
• Secret language, never committed to print or tape recordings
• Passed via mouth
• Homosexuality was stigmatised throughout everyhing e.g religion & men needed a way to express themselves without getting caught
• Exposure in 1960s radio series Round the Horne

Question 8

Polari “anti-language”

Answer 8

Micheal Halliday 1978 created the term anti-language

He said - stigmatised subcultures develop language in a way to reconstruct reality according to their own value

Question 9

Polari opposition to mainstream society

Answer 9

Feminine words to refer to police
Mocked and questioned their identity

E.g
Betty bracelets, Lilly law

Question 10

Polari examples

Answer 10

Clothes, types of people, adjectives to show approval/disproval, sexual acts and everyday objects

Steamers = clients 
Dilly = looking for