aluka.org VS.

sahistory.org.za

The socio-political landscape of Apartheid South Africa was a challenging one for members of the LGBTQI+ community. Under the former National Party (NP), homosexuality was regarded a criminal activity, punishable by up to several years in prison. Rooted in their inherent fear of racial intermixing, The Apartheid State became increasingly anxious about the transgression of sex and sexuality; these “grey areas” threatened their perceived codes of conduct. Strict rules and regulations were set in place to control the transaction of sex and its public presentation.The socio-political landscape of Apartheid South Africa was a challenging one for members of the LGBTQI+ community. Under the former National Party (NP), homosexuality was regarded a criminal activity, punishable by up to several years in prison. Rooted in their inherent fear of racial intermixing, The Apartheid State became increasingly anxious about the transgression of sex and sexuality; these “grey areas” threatened their perceived codes of conduct. Strict rules and regulations were set in place to control the transaction of sex and its public presentation. The Immorality Act of 1969 is one such example. These conservative laws and criminalization of sexuality governed the behaviour of LGBTQI+ people, who were forced into secrecy with regards to their sexuality. It was this oppression and governance of one’s sexual expression that led to the birth of “Gayle”. Comparable to Britain’s Polari or South Africa’s own Fanakalo, “Gayle” is an argot or pseudo-language that arose in the South African LGBTQI+ community somewhere in the mid-60s. Originally termed “moffietaal”, Gayle’s origins have often been debated, with some suggesting it may have arisen as a prison language. The language was most likely developed within the LGBTQI+ communities of colour, particularly the coloured gay community of District 6, as a way for its members to look out for each other in heterosexual spaces or other public spaces where thei