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Polari: language and LGBT history
 Polari
is one of the most intriguing aspects of LGBT heritage,
but one which has fallen out of use by much of the LGBT
community. This language (or lexicon) was adpoted by
some LGBT people from the 1900s onwards and was widely
used in London's gay clubs, bars and 'backslums' (sex
rooms) in the 1950s, prior to the decriminalisation
of homosexuality.
Polari - or 'parlyaree' from
the Italian 'to talk' - arose as a slang created by
people often treated as 'outsiders,' such as theatre
folk and circus people, cockneys, sailors and itinerants,
who felt a special need to protect their identities
or actions.
Amongst the LGBT community it
was mainly used by urban-dwelling gay men, although
lesbians, female impersonators, prostitutes and gay
men in the merchant navy also used Polari, and its use continued amongst people who worked in the theatre.
Many people may be familliar
with Polari without even knowing it thanks to the camp
shennanigans of characters Julian and Sandy (played
by Hugh Paddick and Kenneth Williams) in the 1960s BBC
radio comedy show, Round The Horne. Julian and Sandy
described each week's endeavours to the 'straight man'
- in all senses - Kenneth Horne in pure Polari backchat.
Radio listeners found their exchanges hillarious, despite
a large proportion of the audience being unaware of
the true meaning and context of what was being said.
"How bona to varda your dolly old eek" passed
into the public conciousness in the way the catchphrases
of Little Britain characters do today.
This warm public reception to
Polari betrays the true position of LGBT people in the
60s, however. Until its partial decriminalisation in
1967, homosexuality was still illegal, and despite its
showy nature, Polari was of genuine practical use to
a community who were firmly oppressed, enabling people
to talk freely without revealing the nature of their
conversation. Polari acted to exclude hostile society,
while providing a sense of inclusion and community for
the LGBT population, reflecting their concerns and character
in its formation.
The use of Polari declined steadily
from the 1970s onwards. Paul Baker, author of 'Polari
- The Lost Language of Gay Men,' argues that 'gay liberationists
wanted to move away from camp stereotypes of gay men,
and Polari was increasingly viewed as unattractive and
old fashioned.'
Although many LGBT people today
may be aware of Polari, relatively few can converse
fluently in the language. There are notable exceptions,
including The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a society
of gay men (in habits!) who pass on the use of the language
to their members as they use Polari for masses and ceremonies.
There is also some evidence that use of the language
is on the rise in the more avant-garde end of the gay
scene in London, with the established terms being supplemented
with new words. And the continued popularity of Round
the Horne with new generations also ensures a continued
familliarity with certain Polari terms.
Some LGBT people view Polari
as a silly and outdated relic of an oppressive past,
and some gay men reject it as a feminising influence.
However, the important role of the language in British
LGBT History is undeniable, and to be familliar with
a few choice Polari phrases is to demonstrate an awareness
of the way things used to be before we had achieved
significant advances in LGBT liberation.
If you speak Polari and
could write something for the OutTakes project, do please
get
in touch.
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A few choice
phrases submitted by a forum member:
'It
would be bona to vada yer eek again soon,
glad you have not had to go on national
hadbag or shush to make a living.'
'It would be good to see your face, glad
you have not had to go on the dole or steal
to make a living.'
'We will
have to polari on the polari pipe soon and
have a dolly chat.' 'We will have to
talk on the telephone soon and have a nice
chat.'
I need me oglefakes
to vada, me ogles just don't vada bona omees
the way they used to. Without me oglefakes
I end up with a cod meese omi with a big
onk, bad pots and nanty riah, instead of
a dish with a bona eek (abrev. of ecaf
- 'face' reversed), hard thews, dolly
bod and thier own latty.
'I need my glasses to see, my eyes just
don't see like they used to. Without my
glasses I end up with a vile ugly man with
a big nose, bad teeth and no hair, instead
of an attractive man with a nice face, hard
thighs, pleasant body and their own house/flat).'
With thanks
to Michael Verrier.
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