The Rise and Fall of Polari - Britain's Gay Language

Polari was a secret form of language used mainly by gay men and lesbians in the UK in the 20th century. At a time when it was illegal to be gay, Polari allowed LGBT people to chat freely in public places, as well as letting them identify each other. Words like lallies (legs), omi-palone (gay man) and bona (good) were commonly used in private drinking clubs in the 1950s and 1960s as well as in the theatre. Polari was also a popular feature of the 1960s radio program Round the Horne. But by the 1980s Polari had ceased to be used. This talk discusses its rise and the reasons for its demise, and asks, will it ever come back?

[This talk is organised as part of the month of LGBTQ events.]