BBC writers took advantage of this as they quickly came to realise Polari served more than one purpose as it allowed them to dabble in risque jokes at a time when censorship was strict.
Every Sunday, audiences of up to nine million people would hear stupendously confusing expressions from him such as “how bona to vada your eek,” which translates to “it’s nice to see your pretty face,” or “boner nochy” which means good night.Īlthough not all phrases were as polite with the language often being used to discuss sex. Julian, played by the late Hugh Paddick, was the lead effeminate character who featured on BBC’s popular comedy radio show, Round the Horne. The language went mainstream in 1960 all thanks to an “obvious-but-not-official” gay character, Julian Horne. It was used by sailors, theatrics and lesbians.” It was so incredibly useful and there is definitely a bitter sweetness to the fact that Polari is dying as not only a language but an art form with its links to theatre and beyond just the scope of gay men. Polari often switched male pronouns for females, including names – she to him and George to Georgia – to continue allowing the appearance of heterosexuality.Ĭhloe Hallam, the co-founder and current president of the Queer society at Edge Hill University, said: “Polari is a dying language with such a rich history within the queer community. It was fairly common for Polari phrases to appear in theatre and ballet and is often variously referred to as Palare, Palyaree or Palary.ĭespite their original meanings being virtually forgotten, some Polari words and phrases are still used today, with camp, trade and butch all stemming from the gay slang. The language is made up of a combination of “Italianate phrases, rhyming slang and cant terms,” according to the Oxford English Dictionary. READ MORE: 'The Female Cabdriver of Liverpool' who was arrested for stealing meat Hence why it was used as a tool for gay men to express themselves without the fear of being fired, thrown into jail or chemically castrated. It is believed the lexicon wasn’t a constructed language but rather a mysterious vocabulary developed during a time when society not only stigmatised but illegalised homosexuality. That may seem like gibberish to some, but to others, particularly older generations of the LGBTQIA+ community, it translates into Polari and means “play something nice on the piano.” Polari was a spoken language used in the 1950s and 60s by gay men to skirt around the UK’s harsh anti-homosexuality laws. On Monday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation that prohibits much classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity.“Lau your luppers on the strillers bona.” The law is called “Parental Rights in Education,” but its critics-which include Democrats, Hollywood, and many outspoken employees of the Walt Disney Company-call it “Don’t Say Gay.” What does the law actually say? And how has it created a firestorm at Disney? In this episode, Derek talks to Dana Goldstein, a New York Times reporter, about the details of the law. Then he talks to Matt Belloni, a cofounder of Puck News and the host of the Ringer podcast The Town, about what the debate within Disney says about the future of the culture war and corporations. Part of Derek’s conversation with Dana has been excerpted below.ĭerek Thompson: What I thought we might do is walk through this bill line by line. And that’s not hard because the bill is pretty short. I’d like to go line by line through the most important parts of this bill and have you explain to me what this law literally says? So does that sound OK?ĭT: All right. So I think we should start with the passage that earned the bill the nickname “Don’t Say Gay.” I am quoting now from this bill: “Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through Grade 3 or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.” Dana, what does this mean?ĭG: Yeah, so I think it’s obviously open to interpretation, but the most obvious thing it means is that if a K-through-3 teacher is doing a lesson, it should not touch on issues of sexual orientation or gender identity.