Deciphering the Filipino Gay Lingo

Gay men in the Philippines, especially those who are out, speak to each other using a colorful language that they invented, mixing English, Tagalog, Visayan, and sometimes even Japanese. Those who would hear (or read) Filipino gay slang for the first time feel like they are deciphering a Da Vinci Code.

For instance, let me tell you a story about a group of gays going to Starbucks:

Tom Jones ang mga bekla kaya gora ever sa mall para lumafang. Una nilang jonta ang nyudkort, kaya lang maraming utaw. Go naman sa Nyorbaks, kaya lang can't afford pala ang drama ng iba. Sey nga ni Kimberly, Mahalia Mendez daw ng kape, juwi na lang siya later para mag-Nescafe. Warla ngayon si Georgette, ang Rica Boom Boom ng federasyon. Tom Cruise na talaga siya't wai na patience, kaya shuwag ever siya sa kanyang chimini ah ah. "Yaya, dalhin mo ditech ang anda," sey ng bakla.

Just like any slang, Filipino gay lingo started out with replacing certain words with another term. For example, we say "award" instead of "embarrassed." We say "bet" instead of "boy crush." Eventually, gays learn to speak with a colorful vocabulary, using certain key rules:

* The J Law - Replacing the first letter of a word with "J."

Example:
Jowa - Asawa (husband, boyfriend)
Jonta - Punta (to go to a place)
Jubis - Obese

* The KY/ NY Law - Replacing the first letter with "Ky" or "Ny."

Example:
Kyota - Bata (Children)
Nyorts - A pair of shorts

* The Name Game - Replacing a word with a name (usually that of a celebrity) that sounds like it.

Example:
Julie Yap-Daza - Huli (to get caught)
Gelli de Belen - Jealous
Carmi Martin - Karma

* Plus - Adding an extra syllable, extra letters, or extra words to create a different word.

Example:
Crayola - Cry
Thunder Cats - Tanda (an old person; the slang is often called to an old gay man)
Pagoda Cold Wave Lotion - Pagod (tired)

The use of gay lingo was firstly because to avoid having other people hear what you are talking about, especially when it comes to sex. This is also a means of defying the cultural norms and creating an identity of their own.

Gay speak evolves really fast, with obsolete words and phrases being rewritten and replaced especially when non-gays learn what it means. Saying "Ano'ng happening" (What are your plans for tonight) would make you associated with the 1980s.

This language define the Philippine gay culture, and it would probably stay that way for quite a while.

Baboo!

Empress Maruja, Philippines