Tag Archives: Polari

The BBC reports: A Church of England theological college has expressed regret after trainee priests held a service in the antiquated gay slang language Polari. The service at the chapel of Westcott House in Cambridge was to commemorate LGBT history month. The congregation was told the use of the lexicon was an attempt to “queer the liturgy of evening prayer”. …

I’ve long been fascinated with Polari, which I first learned about when I asked British friends about the title of Morrissey’s 1990 album, Bona Drag, which means “nice outfit.” From the clip recap: Polari was a form of slang used by gay men in Britain prior to the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1967, used primarily as a coded way for …