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Reclaimed words
Slurs used against gay men that the community took back: where they come from, how they changed and who gets to say them.
Queer
From insult to identity, the long way round.
Fag
Three letters, a century of contempt, partly taken back.
Faggot
The heaviest insult, sometimes turned into a badge.
Homo
A medical word, clipped into an insult.
Poof
Two centuries of the British sneer.
Poofter
Poof, with an Aussie bounce.
Fairy
Pretty, fluttery, and taken back.
Pansy
Named after a flower, thrown like a brick.
Nancy
A man with a girl's name, said with a sneer since 1818.
Sissy
From sister to insult to proud femme.
Bent
If they're straight, we must be crooked.
Fruit
Soft, ripe and easy picking, according to the bullies.
Flamer
So gay he's practically on fire.
Swish
Hips that move a little more than strictly necessary.
Limp-wristed
Judging a man by how his hand hangs.
Light in the loafers
So dainty he barely touches the ground.
Dyke
From slur to motorcycle trademark.