A landmark reference guide to the LGBTQIA+ community's contributions to the English
language--an intersectional inclusive playfully illustrated glossary featuring more than 800
terms and fabulous phrases created by and for queer culture. Do you know where "yaaaas queen!"
comes from? Do you know the difference between a bear and a wolf? Do you know what all the
letters in LGBTQIA+ stand for? The Queens' English is a comprehensive guide to modern gay
slang queer theory terms and playful colloquialisms that define and celebrate LGBTQIA+
culture. This modern dictionary provides an in-depth look at queer language from terms
influenced by celebrated lesbian poet Sappho and from New York's underground queer ball culture
in the 1980s to today's celebration of RuPaul's Drag Race. The glossary of terms is supported
by full-color illustrations and photography throughout as well as real-life usage examples for
those who don't quite know how to use "kiki " "polysexual " or "transmasculine" in a sentence.
A series of educational lessons highlight key people and events that shaped queer language
readers will learn the linguistic importance of pronouns gender identity Stonewall the
Harlem Renaissance and more. For every queen in your life--the men women gender
non-conforming femmes butches daddies and zaddies--The Queens' English is at once an
education and a celebration of queer history identity and the limitless imagination of the
LGBTQIA+ community.
