‘Gaylingual’ Code Invented in Myanmar

Posted on Apr 17, 2011

Gay men in Myanmar make up a language, women disappear in new-order Egypt and the Civil War still divides Americans in 2011. These discoveries and more.

On a regular basis, Truthdig brings you the news items and odds and ends that found their way to Larry Gross, director of the USC Annenberg School for Communication. A specialist in media and culture, art and communication, visual communication and media portrayals of minorities, Gross helped found the field of gay and lesbian studies.

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Gays in Myanmar develop coded language
A repressive mix of totalitarian politics, religious views and reserved social mores has kept many gay people in the closet in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. Gay men have developed their own language as a “gaylingual” code to both signify and conceal their sexuality.

Prominent During Revolution, Egyptian Women Vanish in New Order
Sidelined within weeks of helping lead the revolution, women face new challenges in post-Mubarak politics.

Get Dirty: A New London Show Celebrates Filth
A new exhibition in London lets visitors in on the dirtiest of secrets: Most everything we consider filthy — from dust to excrement to bacteria to rubbish to soil — is also essential to human existence.

Intern Nation
The debate over unpaid internships is complex. Students want the experience, but not all can afford it, especially when they’re required to pay for the (sometimes mandatory) corresponding academic credit.

Give Zuckerberg Credit
Mark Zuckerberg Invented Facebook. Get over it.

Blogger Sues Huffington Post
A disgruntled writer sues Huffington Post and AOL for a piece of the $315-million sale price.

Donald Trump, Harbinger of Doom
What does it say about the 2012 GOP presidential pickings when billionaire huckster Donald Trump becomes a leading candidate?

When Did Girls Start Wearing Pink?
Every generation brings a new definition of masculinity and femininity that manifests itself in children’s dress.

Civil War still divides Americans
It has been 150 years since the Civil War began with the first shots at Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, and in some respects views of the Confederacy and the role that slavery played in the events of 1861 still divide the public, according to a new national poll.

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