Although Polari was spoken almost exclusively by gay and bisexual men, the nature of clandestine meetings of the mid 1900s, when homosexuality was still criminalised, brought together people from all walks of life who all had an influence on the language.
Cockney, Romany and Italian languages mixed with the colloquialisms of thespians, circus performers, wrestlers, sailors and wider criminal communities to create a slang to express their sexuality secretly and safely.
Inspired by these origins, we publish queer voices as well as other marginalised groups, to share our perspectives with each other, and help build a collaborative platform for all of us.