gay slang
LGBTQ community lingo
Gay slang refers to vocabulary and expressions originating in or associated with LGBTQ+ communities, particularly gay men.
Some terms stay within the community—trade, vers, reading someone—while others like shade, fierce, and slay have crossed into mainstream usage, often via drag culture and shows like RuPaul's Drag Race.
Much gay slang involves camp humor, double meanings, and code that historically allowed discreet communication.
- campTemporary outdoor shelter site
- queenMost powerful chess piece
- shadeDarkness from blocked light
- throwing shadeSubtle public disparagement
- teaSteeped leaf beverage
spill the tea · slay · fierce · werk · kiki · reading · voguing · death drop · ballroom · drag · snatched · beat · serving · giving face · trade · butch · femme · twink
- Gay Culturerainbow flag, coming out, drag queen, Stonewall, Castro
- secret slangargot, cant, secret language, code words, twin language