But if the response is “Oh, yes, I’m a very good friend of Dorothy,” he’ll know it’s safe to proceed.įolklorists study folk speech, which includes expressions, pronunciations, and grammatical forms shared by members of a particular group-whether the group is based on region, religion, ethnicity, occupation, kinship, or gender identity. To test the waters, he’ll ask, “Are you a friend of Dorothy?” If the response is a puzzled “Dorothy who?” he’ll know it’s wise to move on. One of my favorite examples from the mid-twentieth century is the phrase, “friend of Dorothy.” It might work like this: one man is attracted to another but isn’t sure if the feeling is mutual. Other community members could understand these codes, but not outsiders. During the years before greater openness and understanding, members of the LGBTQ community sometimes resorted to coded speech or behavior as a safeguard.
(Photo by Authenticated News/Archive Photos/Getty Images)Ĭoming out as LGBTQ is often difficult even today, but throughout much of the twentieth century it could have dire legal and social consequences.
