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Welcome back to Let's Be Perfectly Queer Podcast, your go to LGBT Australian podcast for all things queer.
In this week’s episode of Let’s Be Perfectly Queer Podcast, we dive into Polari, the secret language used by gay men, drag performers, theatre performers and queer communities across Britain before homosexuality was decriminalised.
This hidden language wasn’t just camp fun, it was a tool for safety, identity, and resistance in a world where being queer could land you in prison.
Polari wasn’t just slang, it was survival!
We explore:
Where Polari came from — from theatre slang to sailor speak to criminal cant
How queer people used it to avoid police and persecution
Iconic Polari words (vada, bona, eek, nanti, zhoosh) and what they actually mean
Why queer-coded languages appear in oppressed communities worldwide
Why Polari matters today — and how it keeps resurfacing in pop culture, drag, and queer history
This episode is a fun, campy, heartfelt celebration of queer resilience, language, and the ways LGBTQ+ communities have always found ways to stay connected even in the shadows.
If you’re a history nerd, a linguistics lover, or just fabulosa at heart… this one’s for you.
🎧 Listen in and learn a secret language with us... and until next time, stay perfectly queer!
Links we found useful when creating this episode:
- https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/staff/bakerjp/polari/home.htm
- https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/stories/polari-and-hidden-history-of-gay-seafarers
- https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20180212-polari-the-code-language-gay-men-used-to-survive
- https://www.out.com/media/polari-secret-gay-language-explained-words-list-definitions
- https://lithub.com/the-feints-and-jabs-of-polari-britains-gay-slang/
- https://yourdandi.co.uk/polari-the-secret-gay-language/
- https://wp.lancs.ac.uk/fabulosa/whats-polari/
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Archie & Katie 🌈