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QUOTE
"Pagan yauk bu la? (Have you been to Pagan?) England la? (England?) In gay slang, geographical terms are also subverted. ‘Having been to Pagan’ means ‘being gay’, deriving from a bridge in Yangon that doubles as a popular gay hang out. ‘Being England’ means ‘going first’ as the receptive partner in gay male sexual intercourse.
The history of gay Burmese slang is uncertain but it is at least as old as when cake was introduced to the country. This is known because ‘cake’, used as an adjective, is the word for large-sized male genitals, introduced into gay slang when cake was a new popular phenomenon in the country.
Terminology for gay-identifying men has been a problem in Burmese and remains an ongoing debate. A chauk and gandu, the most common words for gay men in conventional Burmese, are derogatory but are still used by some gay men in remote places.
A chauk literally means ‘dry’, but the reason for adopting it is unclear. One common explanation is that it is used to suggest that gay men do not have semen, that it is dry. People use the term as an insult. Aung Myo Min coined the phrase layn thu chit thu, which translates as ‘those who love the same gender’. Others simply use the identifying term "mummy."
Demand for new words and terminology adopted reflects the changing culture of the gay community, as well as cultural shifts in Burma generally. One recent introduction to the language is the term "cake moe poe thin tan" (baking training), which means group sex. As group sex is new to Burmese gay culture, a term for it has only recently been needed.
Some words given new meaning derive from moments in popular culture. If someone says they love to read Shwe Thwe Magazine, previously popular amongst children, it means they like teenage boys. If someone says they read Tayza Magazine, previously popular amongst young adults, it means they like men from that older age group."
The history of gay Burmese slang is uncertain but it is at least as old as when cake was introduced to the country. This is known because ‘cake’, used as an adjective, is the word for large-sized male genitals, introduced into gay slang when cake was a new popular phenomenon in the country.
Terminology for gay-identifying men has been a problem in Burmese and remains an ongoing debate. A chauk and gandu, the most common words for gay men in conventional Burmese, are derogatory but are still used by some gay men in remote places.
A chauk literally means ‘dry’, but the reason for adopting it is unclear. One common explanation is that it is used to suggest that gay men do not have semen, that it is dry. People use the term as an insult. Aung Myo Min coined the phrase layn thu chit thu, which translates as ‘those who love the same gender’. Others simply use the identifying term "mummy."
Demand for new words and terminology adopted reflects the changing culture of the gay community, as well as cultural shifts in Burma generally. One recent introduction to the language is the term "cake moe poe thin tan" (baking training), which means group sex. As group sex is new to Burmese gay culture, a term for it has only recently been needed.
Some words given new meaning derive from moments in popular culture. If someone says they love to read Shwe Thwe Magazine, previously popular amongst children, it means they like teenage boys. If someone says they read Tayza Magazine, previously popular amongst young adults, it means they like men from that older age group."
The whole article can be found at: http://rspas.anu.edu.au/rmap/newmandala/
