Chennai Academics Trace Gen Z Slang to Historical Queer Ballroom Culture
Language experts and students in Chennai have highlighted how popular Gen Z slang terms and emojis, widely used in daily conversations, actually originated from historical Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) LGBTQIA+ ballroom culture in the United States. Academics, including Atul Kumar Singh, an assistant professor of English at VIT-Chennai, noted that these expressions, which date back to the 1980s AIDS epidemic, have transitioned from underground codes of survival into mainstream global vernacular.
During the 1980s, underground ballroom spaces in the US served as safe havens and platforms for queer communities to celebrate their identities through fashion showcases and performance-based vogue battles. According to Singh, these marginalised groups developed coded communication to maintain discretion and evade the control of dominant societal structures.
Shivalika Agarwal, an assistant professor of English at the Manipal Academy of Higher Education who specialises in Gender Studies, explained that the creation of new vocabulary serves as an act of rebellion against the rigid gender binary. She added that the acceptance of language depends heavily on who holds power in society, noting that many cisgender-heterosexual men avoid this vocabulary due to normative societal expectations.
Local students highlighted how these terms are used today. Roshini, a law student, explained that terms like "slay" are now used ubiquitously to express positive feelings about accomplishments or outfits. Another student, Sree, pointed out the popularity of "it's giving" to hype someone up as a "main character," as well as "doll," a term historically used to identify trans women that has now become a social media shorthand. Roshini also clarified that "tea," often associated with gossip, serves as a form of casual, informal sharing of life updates.
Despite their widespread use, many young people remain unaware of the historical origins of these terms. Nikki, a Gen Z trans woman, described this mainstream adoption as a process of co-opting, where terms go viral and are quickly imitated by non-queer individuals. Priya, an art student, admitted she previously believed these terms were simply invented by Gen Z. Singh observed that mainstream communication often overlooks the history of words, focusing instead on their current utility, though historical records continue to be maintained by those within the community.
