Language Before Stonewall

Leap, William L.

Language Before Stonewall Language, Sexuality, History / [electronic resource] : by William L. Leap. - 1st ed. 2020. - IX, 424 p. 1 illus. online resource. - Palgrave Studies in Language, Gender and Sexuality . - Palgrave Studies in Language, Gender and Sexuality .

Chapter 1: Introduction: A Not-So-Secret "Secret Code" -- Chapter 2: Discretion -- Chapter 3: Surveillance -- Chapter 4: Learning a Language of Sexuality -- Chapter 5: Circulation, Accumulation and Superdiversity -- Chapter 6: Conclusions.

This book explores the linguistic and social practices related to same-sex desires and identities that were widely attested in the USA during the years preceding the police raid on the Stonewall Inn in 1969. The author demonstrates that this language was not a unified or standardized code, but rather an aggregate of linguistic practices influenced by gender, racial, and class differences, urban/rural locations, age, erotic desires and pursuits, and similar social descriptors. Contrary to preconceptions, moreover, it circulated widely in both public and in private domains. This intriguing book will appeal to students and academics interested in the intersections of language, sexuality and history and queer historical linguistics. William L. Leap is Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at American University and Affiliate Professor in the Center for Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies at Florida Atlantic University, USA.

9783030335168

10.1007/978-3-030-33516-8 doi

M/s. Indica Technologies & Services Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi – 110 002


Sociolinguistics.
Historical linguistics.
Slang.
Gender identity.
Queer theory.
United States—History.
Language and Gender.
Language History.
Slang and Jargon.
Gender and Sexuality.
Queer Theory.
US History.

P40-40.5

306.44