A semantic look at feminine sex and gender terms in Philippine gay lingo

Abstract

Gayspeak, like other languages, is constantly changing. But unlike other languages, words and terms in this colourful tongue undergo change so quickly that it would be impossible to come up with a dictionary of the language that wouldn’t become obsolete within a matter of months, weeks, or even days. In spite of this, there is a thread that holds this language together, and that is freedom, freedom from the rules and dictates of society. Part one of this paper gives the definitions and etymological backgrounds of certain feminine sex and gender terms in gay lingo. Part two compares the reactions of the gay community to these words with the reactions of the mainstream society to the English or Filipino counterparts of these words. Part three examines how the use of feminine sex and gender terms in gay lingo reflects and reinforces the Philippine gay community’s attitude towards women.