Tag: polari

The Polari language was also known as Palarie, Palare, Parlarly and in various other forms and it was exclusively associated with gays and lesbians throughout the 20th century. It was mostly spread in London and it was an important part of the subculture that was being used by people confronted by the legal system that considered homosexuality, and especially sodomy, a criminal offense. What makes Polari different than any other language is that it was secret and only was only...

Maybe it's the first time that you've heard this kind of language and maybe because it's almost extinct. Polari was wide-spread in Britain until the 1970s. You must remember that being an active homosexual was against the law until the law was changed in 1967 and this was a way of talking so that people around you didn't have a clue about what you were talking about. The language was also commonly used by theater workers. It was a combination of words...