SA’s SECRET GAY SLANG

GAYLE

By KEVIN DU PLESSIS AMANDA, DARLING.

Friends of Dorothy, in today’s lesson we will be focussing on the gayest words to ever pour out of South African mouths. A little bit of history and then on to a case study of the language of kinks and queens.

Moffietaal, or Gayle, is the secret gay slang language that developed amongst Afrikaans and English speaking gay men in South Africa during a time when it was illegal to be gay. It is a situational variety of language, the kind which is used only in certain environments, only when certain people are present, and when certain topics are under discussion. In other words, gay bars and the like, by gay men, and talking about gay stuff…

In his research on this topic, Ken Cage documented around fourteen hundred words used in this language and published the book Gayle: A History and Dictionary of Gay Language in South Africa in 2003. Fewer and fewer gay men are using Gayle on a regular basis because its primary purpose, to conceal their gay identities from the larger heterosexual community, has fallen away. However, Gayle still serves certain purposes and is still in use, especially amongst older gay men who were young when Gayle was in its prime years of use. If you ever find yourself at the same table as one of these men (or queens), I highly recommend you indulge them to share it with you.

It is a fascinating and amusing language, writes Dr Moyra Evans in the preface of the book. And she is abso-fabulutely right. Going through the dictionary of words I curled up laughing sharing some of my favourite words with friends. Some of them are bizarre and offensive, like just gay men can be at the best of times!

Ken Cage’s documentation of gay slang in South Africa focuses mainly on the non-African language speaking community, meaning only white and coloured, leaving black gay men out of the picture. He explains how the fact that gay culture was as divided by race as the rest of South Africa influenced his decision to exclude the black gay community in this research, which should not be ascribed to racism, but merely to the fact that he does not possess the knowledge of that segment of the gay community who found themselves trapped in the twin vices of a racist apartheid political system and a homophobic indigenous culture. The fact is that there are two parallel gay histories in South Africa, and the story of how Gayle came to be spoken is a result of only one side.

Before the 1960s there was no organised gay co-culture in South Africa, not to say no gay men, just no united group with a common societal identity. The depression after WWII resulted in a massive migration of people to cities in search of work and this opened new possibilities of alternative lifestyles that were no longer governed by conservative beliefs that homosexuality was synonymous with paedophilia or being a perverted suicidal alcoholic. The late 1940s saw the first gay bar in Johannesburg at the Carlton Hotel. In the 60s more bars, outdoor cruising areas, private clubs and parties started offering gay men the opportunity to socialise with and meet other gay men. Lesbians, for a very long time, remained uncatered for.

The legal implications, and one of the main reasons the language developed, originated from the fact that South African law is rooted in Roman-Dutch law which criminalised “unnatural sexual acts” between men. This law also originally only permitted sexual acts between men and women with the aim of procreation. These laws did change but a historical anomaly preserved the parts that targeted gay men, who were in turn stigmatised and relegated to outsider status in

THE POLICE WERE ENCOURAGED TO INFILTRATE GAY PARTIES AND TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST THE “PERVERTS”

society as the “third sex.”

For many years a so-called honeymoon period left gay men and their newly found identity unharassed by authorities who were focussed much more strongly on the swartgevaar. This was destined to change, however, as draconian antigay legislation saw the light of day in the late 1960s after a police raid on a private party in Forest Town, Johannesburg in January 1966. Ken Cage includes a police report of the incident in his book:

A party (was) in progress, the like of which has never been seen in the Republic of South Africa. There were approximately 300 male persons who were all obviously homosexuals. Males were dancing with males to the strains of music, kissing and cuddling each other in the most vulgar fashion imaginable. They also paired off and continued their love-making in the garden of the residence and in motor cars in the streets, engaging in the most indecent acts imaginable with each other.

In a response to this ‘threat on Western civilisation’ the police force of South Africa was encouraged to use informants to infiltrate gay parties and that action be taken against the ‘perverts’. --Insert eye-roll--

So, joining the swartgevaar there came its new sibling the pienkgevaar. And so the struggle of the gay community ensued, a subject of intricate detail that is best left for discussion on another occasion. I wish only to shed light on the delightful language of Gayle that was a product of many human rights violations performed by the South African government against gay minority groups.

What stood out most prominently as I studied the fourteen hundred words, especially because it is so unique to South African gay slang as compared to Polari and other international manifestations of the same phenomenon, was the use of female names as words to describe all manner of concepts related to gay social situations. Mostly the names were chosen for their alliteration with the word or concept that was being referred to.

So, in an attempt to keep the language alive, whether it is merely to remind you of its existence, bemuse you with its sense of humour or, perhaps, to offer you and/or your group of friends a sampling of Gayle to use for your own recreational purposes, I have compiled a list of my favourite female-name-words (some male) from the Gayle dictionary. Not only that, but I will also illustrate Gayle in action in a dialogue between two queens, inspired by the harmless (more or less) and slightly vile banter I have come across in my own time of being a dirty Dorothy Joburg queen.

Abigail Ada Adele (Adder) Agatha Albert Amanda Angela Annamarie Atmosfeer Annie Audrie Beatrice Beaulah Beaulet Belia Belinda Osmond Bertha Betty Bangles Billy Boris Brenda Brunhilda Candy Carol Cha Cha Palace Chihuahua Cheryl Christina Cilla Cinderella Cindy Clarissa Clara Connie Cynthia Debra Delilah Delores Diana Dora VOCAB Dorette Dorothy Elsie Geselsie Emma Erica Ethel Fatima Fifi Fiona Fuella Griselda Great Dane Guccis Harriet Harry Hilda Jella Jessica Joan Julia Katrina Laura Leonie Lesley(s) Lettie Lizzy Lucy Lulu Mandy Mara Maureen Moira Mona Monica Muscle Mary Nancy Nora Norma Olga Pamela Patricia Patsy Paula Penelope Petunia Reeva Sarah Sheila Sophie Stella Tabitha Talulah Theresa Tina Trixie Trudie Ursula Vera Veronica Vicky Virginia Vivian Yolanda adj and n. old and ugly / n. abortion n. buttocks adj. gay person with a reputation for vindictiveness / adj. dangerous n. a gossip n. pierced penis adj. amazing adj. helpful and kind n. party pooper n. anus n. audience n. eavesdropper (also Beatrice Big Ears) adj. Beautiful adj. cute n. testicles n. body odour (as in BO) n. bitch n. police officer n. beer adj. bored or boring n. bed adj. and n. excessively ugly adj. confused v. cry n. a gay disco / club / bar n. small penis adj. cheerful n. gay man who attends church n. cigarette n. someone who looks better at night, preferably in subdued lighting n. teenager adj. clever adj. rude / vulgar n. condom adj. synthetic / artificial adj. depressed / depressing adj. delightful adj. delicious adj. disgusting adj. v. and n. an alcoholic drink / to be drunk / to drink alcohol

n. shot of alcohol n. gay man n. chatterbox adj. embarrassing n. erection adj. old adj. overweight n. effeminate gay man adj. sexually frustrated adj. angry / furious adj. gruesome / excessively unattractive n. enormous penis n. bags under the eyes adj. hairy n. hangover adj. ugly v. hurry up adj. jealous n. a bitter gay man n. jewellery n. catastrophe n. lover n. liar n. leg(s) n. lesbian adj. lazy n. a promiscuous person v. laugh v. masturbate adj. unhappy v. murder n. music n. someone who complains all the time n. money n. gay man who gyms a lot n. nothing / no adj. stupid (from igNORAnt) adj. heterosexual adj. old and ugly adj. pathetic adj. pregnant n. party v. pass out n. penis v. to urinate adj. revolting adj. sensitive n. and v. faeces / to defecate / shit n. soap n. and v. thief / to steal n. tooth / teeth n. and v. telephone / talk / to make a call n. traffic cop adj. small / tiny n. trashy n. trouble n. understanding, gayfriendly heterosexual n. vomit n. voice n. video n. homosexual virgin n. vibrator adj. your type

What you read next may be Clara to some of the more Sarah Audries. What transpires in this dialogue is between two Elsie Dorothies in one of their daily Agatha sessions. ATTENTION ANNAMARIE SPILL THE T A DIALOGUE IN GAYLE

RAYMOND Do you know what, darling, she is just Jessica. She’s gotten so Abigail over the years she could fit the queen’s Julia in her Guccis. ADAM It just makes me Mara when people are so Nora. I’m just Fuella that she sent that Vicky of me to everyone! It was a Hilda thing to do, and to be honest, she is the biggest Lucy out of all of us! RAYMOND She’s probably just Boris with that Brunhilda she’s dating, and now goes around making Trudie. It’s Pamela, if you ask me! ADAM Oh yes, that one is Diana, I saw her Instagram, and let me tell you, I have never seen so much Harriet on a man before! And his face looks like someone took a Sheila on it. RAYMOND Haha, remember to tell Travis what you just said, he is going to Lulu so hard that he will Petunia his pants! ADAM You tell him then! I am done talking about these Joans, it’s making me feel Mona. If they want to act like Trixies, they must go ahead. I won’t Carol over this. RAYMOND Agreed, this is Debra. Did you go home with that Muscle Mary the other night? God, I had such a Harry the next day from all those Dorettes. ADAM I did! And you wouldn’t believe how much Monica he’s got! He is quite Beaulet, but a bit Nora, if you ask me. All that matters is that he was good in the Brenda! RAYMOND Nothing like a good Brenda Patsy after a night out, and you deserve it. But, yes, I didn’t actually think he was Yolanda. ADAM And what about you? Any new Lauras in your life? RAYMOND Nancy. I’m Fiona, but I guess that’s my own fault for getting so Fatima. Nothing my Vivian can’t fix, though! ADAM Please stop, you’re going to make me Vera! RAYMOND Ag! Don’t be coy with me! You’re no Virginia yourself. ADAM Let’s change the subject! In other news, something Amanda happened at work! RAYMOND Klap daai lippe, Fifi! Jella! ADAM You know my boss, Fred? It turns out he ain’t so Norma as he makes himself out to be. RAYMOND Shut up, you’re such a Leonie! ADAM I kid you not, girl, at our office party last Friday I was just loving the Moira and I had had a few Doras when he came to stand next to me. I said, “Hi Fred, I’m loving the music tonight.” And then out of the blue he grabs my Ada and says, “If I weren’t straight.” RAYMOND Oh my Annie! I can’t believe it! That’s Delilah! He is a bit Hilda, but those Lesleys make me Paula every time. ADAM It was a bit Emma, to be honest! [Pause.] But sweet Fifi, I need to go, I can’t Talulah all day long. RAYMOND Fine Annamarie atmosfeer! Go on then. ADAM See you at the Cha Cha Palace on Friday, I can’t wait! Kisses! RAYMOND Only if the Betties don’t catch me for being way too Beaulah! Kisses.