At parties or Tea Dances, they came in dresses, swooning over Garbo and Davis. A couple of years ago, they had puny bodies, lisping voices, and elegant clothes. Further, one could turn one's swish on or off, as described by Martin Levine in 'Gay Macho': cquote|Just look at all these clones dear.they all look so 'butch.' But I remember when everyone was 'nelly.' What a joke!.Over the last few years I have watched many of these girls change as the times changed. Thus while clones view swish as harmfully embodying anti-gay stereotypes, being swish was a way of indicating and performing one's identity, indicating that anti-gay stereotypes were and are derived from gay identities Fact|date=April 2008.

Though it may be assumed that most post-Stonewall gay men view acting swish as internalized homophobia, a concession to straight stereotypes of gay men as failed men (or women) however, 'clone'-the masculine, even macho, standard and ideal behaviour that replaced swish-adapted many camp elements such as dish. 291, cited in Levine 1998)Īlthough being butch was viewed as deviant and socially unacceptable by gay male society (Warren 1972, 1974 Helmer 1963, both cited in Levine 1998), being swish has since lost its mainstream gay status post-Stonewall, and in addition to being used occasionally by straight people is now most often derogatory even when used by gay men. In describing ordinary experiences the male variant is likely to use such words as 'terrific,' 'fabulous,' 'completely devoted,' 'horrible,' 'tremendous,' 'sublimely,' 'charming,' 'appalling,' 'vicious,' 'loathed,' and 'madly.' Exaggerations are made more conspicuous by placing undue or inappropriate emphasis on certain syllables and intonations which leave little doubt of the effeminacy of the speaker.' (Henry, 1955, p. Such expressions as 'Oh my word!' 'Good heavens!' and 'Oh, my dear!' are readily associated with other aspects of a feminine man. īeing swish includes sashaying and the use of limp wrists, falsetto voices, feminine pronouns, and superlatives (Sonenschein 1969 Tripp 197?, both cited in Levine 1998)-basically, everything up to the other side of camp, or drag. Wentworth and Flexner define 'swish' as a noun meaning 'a male homosexual, esp.

This behaviour is also described as being 'nelly'. 'Swish' is a derogatory term for effeminate behaviour and interests ( camp), emphasized and sanctioned in pre- Stonewall gay male communities.

Define swish swich