Language and Sexuality

Language and Sexuality

1. Polari

   • Paul Baker
     • Paul Baker is a professor at Lancaster University. He is an avid researcher of language & identities, and has written books on the topic, including Sexed Texts: Language, Gender, and Sexuality, and Polari: The Lost Language of Gay Men. As well as this, he is the commissioning editor for the journal Corpora, a linguistic journal with a focus on corpus linguistics.
   • History of LGBT in the UK
     • Today, LGBT citizens have most of the same legal rights as non-LGBT citizens, and the UK is recognised as providing one of the highest degrees of liberty in the world for LGBT communities.
       • Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) rights in the United Kingdom have changed dramatically over time. However, the four nations of the UK (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) have varying stances on the matter. Before and during the formation of the United Kingdom, religion (Christianity) and homosexuality clashed. Any homosexual activity was classed as sinful, being outlawed throughout the UK and punishable by death. LGBT rights first came to prominence following the decriminalisation of same-sex sexual activity across the UK between 1967 and 1982.