This was when she truly understood how deep gay lingo can get, “ Talagang pawitty han kayo ng construction. She was initially confused at the term until her friend cusped their hands together-mimicking a person in handcuffs-akin to a variation of the Pearly Shells dance. Instead, she heard a friend use “pearly shells” to signify a person who got caught. (Gay lingo rapidly changes compared to campus-speak or other social dialects.)įor example, she recalls a time when “Julie Yap Daza” became outdated. To this, Singh echoes Hernandez’ statement, “You can just invent a gay lingo right now and expect some of your friends to understand what you’re saying because you all know your codes.” “ Ang bilis-bilis magbago kumpara dun sa…campus-speak, or other social dialects,” Hernandez notes, emphasizing how external factors-like other languages and popular trends-contribute to the enrichment of the beki language. Yet, mastering the art of gayspeak isn’t as easy as it sounds its intricacies lie in its hyperdynamic nature. But what was once a way to fend off the Philippines’ heavily patriarchal and heteronormative society, gay lingo now connects users-whether queer or not-in a community full of love and support. Thus, “ is rooted in the experiences of the LGBTQ+ community in the Philippines there’s really a need to sometimes veil conversations to avoid cultural violence,” Hernandez reaffirms in Filipino. The term “Julie Yap Daza”, for instance-which means huli or “to get caught”-was often used by gay men in the 80s to warn each other when policemen were in sight. A secret language of sorts, it exists to conceal the true messages of its speakers as a form of protection from non-queer individuals or non-allies. “People practice gay lingo to create a space for without the fear of other people eavesdropping on their conversations,” Singh says. Its roots stem from a time when the Filipino LGBTQ+ community hid behind the shield of the language to keep themselves safe. However, gayspeak back then wasn’t as vibrant as it is today. “Personally, I practice language more often because may sense of empowerment on my part knowing the history of gay lingo,” she expresses. Film writer-director Rod Singh speaks in the same vein. “It’s part of our way of life-how we talk with one another and how we get our messages across,” he shares. But to him, it’s more than just a language. For Carlos Calo (III, PSM), gay lingo is the community’s avenue of expression. It’s no surprise then that the language is as colorful and alive as its community’s culture. (There’s no body or commission that would tell you, “This is how it’s supposed to be.”) Therefore, it doesn’t follow a standardized or strict set of grammar rules other languages have. “Wala namang isang body o isang komisyon that would tell you, ‘This is how it’s supposed to be,’” he jokes. Just like any sociolect, it’s centered around the speakers. “We refer to as a sociolect,” states Jesus Federico “Tuting” Hernandez, associate professor at the University of the Philippine’s Department of Linguistics.
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