Chicken (gay slang)
Encyclopedia
Chicken can be used, usually by gay
men referring to other gay men, to mean a young gay man or young-appearing gay man - stereotypically describing an adolescent youth, usually one with an innocent nature.
Author Bruce Rodgers defines the term as "1. any boy under the age of consent, heterosexual, fair of face, and unfamiliar with homosexuality ("So many chickens were flapping around that I thought we were touring Colonel Sanders' plantation”) 2. juvenile, youthful, young-looking." Others have defined it as a young man who engages in sex for money or favors.
Recently, some conservative Americans began defining the term itself as gay pedophile related.
In the subculture of the gay community which uses handkerchiefs or bandannas
as a code, people who identify as "Chicken" wear a Kewpie doll
in their left back pocket. Those who are interested in young men - referred to as chickenhawk
s - are denoted in the hanky code as wearing one on the right.
The term has existed in the gay vernacular for many decades, and is still used today. David Henry Sterry
, a former prostitute turned actor and director, titled his 2002 memoir, Chicken: Self-Portrait of a Young Man for Rent. Author Philip Herbst traces its origin to the 19th century, where it was used to describe the youngest sailors on a ship, who were often used for sexual purposes.
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
men referring to other gay men, to mean a young gay man or young-appearing gay man - stereotypically describing an adolescent youth, usually one with an innocent nature.
Author Bruce Rodgers defines the term as "1. any boy under the age of consent, heterosexual, fair of face, and unfamiliar with homosexuality ("So many chickens were flapping around that I thought we were touring Colonel Sanders' plantation”) 2. juvenile, youthful, young-looking." Others have defined it as a young man who engages in sex for money or favors.
Recently, some conservative Americans began defining the term itself as gay pedophile related.
In the subculture of the gay community which uses handkerchiefs or bandannas
Handkerchief code
Handkerchief code or hanky code is color-coded system, employed usually among the gay male casual-sex seekers or BDSM practitioners in the leather subculture in the United States, Canada and Europe, to indicate preferred fetishes, what kind of sex they are seeking, and whether they are a...
as a code, people who identify as "Chicken" wear a Kewpie doll
Kewpie doll (toy)
Kewpie dolls and figurines are based on comical strip-like illustrations by Rose O'Neill that appeared in Ladies' Home Journal in 1909. The small dolls were extremely popular in the early 1900s. They were first produced in Ohrdruf, a small town in Germany, then famous for its toy-manufacturers....
in their left back pocket. Those who are interested in young men - referred to as chickenhawk
Chickenhawk (sexuality)
A chickenhawk or chicken hawk is slang used in American and British gay culture to denote older males who prefer younger males for partners, who may less often be called "chickens", i.e., the prey of the chickenhawk...
s - are denoted in the hanky code as wearing one on the right.
The term has existed in the gay vernacular for many decades, and is still used today. David Henry Sterry
David Henry Sterry
David Henry Sterry is an American author, actor/comic, and former sex worker.- Biography :Sterry started in show business as a standup comedian in the early 1980s, opening for acts ranging from Milton Berle to Robin Williams to Dana Carvey...
, a former prostitute turned actor and director, titled his 2002 memoir, Chicken: Self-Portrait of a Young Man for Rent. Author Philip Herbst traces its origin to the 19th century, where it was used to describe the youngest sailors on a ship, who were often used for sexual purposes.
External links
- Matt & Andrej Koymasky Glossary of Gay Slang Terms — C (includes definitions of "chicken" and derivatives)