Identity

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Friday 14 October 2022 | The Oxford Student Identity

Lavender Languages

“I am dishearted that Labunca exists because it needs to...”

Emily Lazell-Taylor reflects upon the prevalence of Lavender languages in Turkey

‘Lavender Languages’ are described as languages and slang created by LGBTQ+ plus communities and serve as a kind of homosexual code with the hopes of avoiding detection. There are myriads of code signs and symbols that individuals have used throughout history in order to ensure their safety. For example, Polari has been used by gay men in Britain and Ireland in the 1950s and 1960s. As a queer Turkish woman, I wish to devote my attention to Lubunca (pronounced looboonja), a secret Turkish cant and slang, used today by the LGBTQ+ community in Turkey, especially amongst sex workers. language of Lubunca and felt innumerable emotions that it is still being used today. As a result, I was called to question my queer identity and began to examine what it meant for me to be a queer woman studying in Oxford. Growing up with a strict religious background, I was surrounded by individuals with homophobic attitudes and so had to hide a huge aspect of my life and identity in order to protect myself. However, since coming to Oxford, I have felt nothing but acceptance and love, and I am forever grateful for this. Such acceptance, com-

bined with my background and a growing desire for me to explore my Turkish roots, means that I have had to confront the homophobic realities Growing up with a of Turkey today.strict religious background, I was sur- Concerning the rounded by individu- historical origins als with homophobic of Lubunca, Nichattitudes and so had olas Kontovas exto hide a huge aspect plains that most of my life and identity of the words from Lubunca come from Romani, with some words from Greek, Kurdish and Bugarian. Kontovas goes on to say that ‘Lubunca and the social context that it came from arose from changing Ottoman attitudes towards male-male sexuality.’ There had not been much stigma surrounding men sleeping with other men, but this changed as the Ottoman empire declined. As a result, by the early 1900s, the notion of same-sex relations was considered as taboo; Kontovas holds that this may have been the root of Lubunca.

To take one example of how Lubunca may be used by LGBTQ+ sex workers, let us imagine that a rich customer has come to a brothel. Upon seeing this customer, the person might say, ‘That’s bir but baari,’ meaning, ‘it’s a hundred dollar customer!’ Within this example, ‘bir’ is the Turkish word for ‘one’, ‘but’ means ‘thigh’ and ‘baari’ roughly translates to ‘at least’. These are all Turkish words being used, but they are strung together in such a way that one would not understand it unless they knew Lubunca!

The function of Lubunca is encapsulated by Gizem Derin, a transgender activist. He saya, ‘Lubunca was born to urgent need… It was created by transgender women. When they were walking in the streets, they needed to protect themselves from abusive crimes and police.’ I am fascinated by the origins and the intelligent use of this language and the function which it has played in protecting individuals. However, even though I am now in an environment that stands up for my sexuality, I am in fear of the limited rights that I will have when I would like to visit where I