It has been used in various languages since the early 20th century as a means by which members of the LGBTQ community identify themselves and speak in code with brevity and speed to others.
Slang language initially emerged as a way for queer people to communicate with one another while avoiding detection by mainstream society. LGBTQ slang is used as a way to signal one's identity and build solidarity within the community. When queer people use these certain words and phrases, they demonstrate to others that they are part of the LGBTQ community and share a common experience.
This connection can create a sense of belonging for those historically rejected and isolated by mainstream society. LGBTQ slang is also used by the community as a means of reclaiming language and deconstructing oppressive norms. Queer slang often includes playful references to sexual acts, which can serve as an assertion of sexual agency and a rejection of shame.
Because of sodomy laws and threat of prosecution due to the criminalization of homosexuality, LGBTQ slang has served as an argot or cant , a secret language and a way for the LGBTQ community to communicate with each other publicly without revealing their sexual orientation to others. During the first seven decades of the 20th century, a specific form of Polari was developed by gay men and lesbians in urban centres of the United Kingdom within established LGBTQ communities.
Polari was featured on the BBC radio programme Round the Horne in , exposing the wider public to the secret language. Slang is ephemeral; terms used in one generation may pass out of usage in another. For example, in the s and s, the terms "cottage" chiefly British and "tearoom" chiefly American were used to denote public toilets used for sex.
