I have seen at least 1 meme or other joke somewhere on the platform where one also mentioned a “twink” and where that word appeared to be the punchline somehow. I’ve scrolled through Urban Dictionary a bit (haha) and the meanings mentioned there are either literal, using burger as a metaphor for the kind of person who looks like they consume burgers regularly, as a random surrogate for things that are kind of round (haha) or even that aren’t, or 1 Instance of fandom ship name for piece of media where the name of a character sounds like the word for onions in Japanese. That didn’t really get me anywhere. Did I correctly pick up that I don’t get it, or is there nothing more to this word?
Wellll, like others have said, twink is a long standing term for very feminine presenting gay men, with varying regional connotations as to whether they’re also very thin and/or petite, and it can be used separate from a “flame”, which is a term for the very flamboyant gay men regardless of their presentation or physical appearance.
There’s a lot of overlap between twinks, flames, otters, and queens (which may or may not mean drag queens, depending on where you are). Some people use them interchangeably, others will use them as separate aspects.
Now, burger, I haven’t heard in a long time among gay folks. The only gay specific usage I am aware of was complimentary, as in “mmm, I wanna get a bite of that burger”. It was usually directed at someone with superior buns, though sometimes someone with a lot of meat. But the last time I heard that, I think it was maybe 1999? 98? And afaik, it wasn’t one of those terms that was used everywhere.
Mind you, most of the above is filtered through media, and/or local gay culture in my area. I’ve never lived anywhere but the south, and only in one state. I’ve visited plenty of the east coast, and since I’ve always felt more comfortable around gay strangers than straight strangers, I have had some exposure to other local cultures. But the majority of what I’ve picked up is regional. You’d be amazed how much difference there is in the gay scene between Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville, Savannah, etc, just here in the south. You go north and things can be even less familiar.
Back in the day, a lot of the slang and culture traveled with drag queens. The ones that would travel for shows carried all the news and culture with them, like fabulous bards.
Anyway, memory lane aside, that’s the only context I’ve heard burger used for specific to gay culture.
TIL. I’ve heard people being called, usually in a derogatory way, “flamers” or “flaming” but never just “flame”, nor did I understand the context.
So just your average bard, then?
Yup, bards be fabulous by default :)
I have seen flame and its variants used derogatorily as well. Moreso back in the late eighties and early nineties back when there were a lot of gay men trying to avoid attention and criticising the more visible people in the overall gay community. But it still gets used that way sometimes nowadays. Back in my younger years, flaming was usually followed by the other f-word connected to gay folks when used as an insult. Sometimes even when used affectionately, though that was rarer.
Myself, I’ve always enjoyed the company of the brighter burning flames. There’s just something so delightful in someone being exuberant and joyful as their primary way of moving through life. Even the drama some flames bring along is worth it lol.
I’m in old man mode again, but I can still remember my first night working as a bouncer at the drag club. All these people coming in, most of the customers dressed to the nines, happy and dancing, and letting go of all the camouflage they had to wear at work or whatever. All those flames burning bright and free.
The guy on the door with me performed as well and was in a dress and had his makeup on (but not the shoes lol), and I asked him if it was always like this, and he just laughed and said “Oh, honey child, this is a slow night.” And it was! Some Saturdays, it was like what I imagine dropping acid to be.
Gods, I miss that part of the job lol.
I greatly appreciate your old man mode. Sounds like a fantastic job.