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| ] recapturing the phrase "batty boy" in a postmodern sense]] '''Batty boy''' (also spelled '''bhatti boy''', '''batty bwoy'''), '''bati man''' and '''bati chick''' are pejorative ]s used to describe ], ] and effeminate men, or those presumed to be gay and bisexual. The term is a ] abbreviation of the word ''bottom'' into ''batty''; "batty boy" is a ] of the American English "butt boy". Usage is commonplace in some ] cultures where ] is condemned, partially as a result of mainly conservative ] and ] beliefs. Sex between men is punishable with up to ten years jail in Jamaica.<ref> By Tim Padgett. Wednesday, April 12, 2006.</ref> The country is seen as one of the most violent towards gay men in particular and in 2006 '']'' noted it likely was the worst place in the Americas for ] people and one of the most ] places in the world.<ref> By Tim Padgett. Wednesday, April 12, 2006.</ref><ref name="jojj"> Janice Johnson, ''Jamaica Observer'', December 25, 2006.</ref><ref name="HIJ"> | |||
| {{short description|Slur in Jamaican Patois}} | |||
| Diane Abbott, ''Jamaica Observer'', August 2, 2009.</ref> In 2009, the '']'' reported on the continuing violence including a case where police were helping a gay man ] victim by driving him to a hospital when people admonished them for helping a ''batty boy'', they removed him from the car and loaded him into the trunk instead.<ref name="HIJ"/> Similar cultural attitudes were ascribed by a doctor at St. Andrew's Hospital for the "soaring level of prostate cancer in Jamaica to men being scared of the digital rectal examinations" saying, "because it is a homophobic society, there's such a fear of the sexual implications of having the exam that men won't seek out help."<ref name="HIJ"/> | |||
| In ], '''''batty boy''''' (also ''batty bwoy'', ''batty man'', and ''chi chi bwoy/man'') is a ] often used to refer to a gay or ] man.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Younge |first1=Gary |title=Troubled island |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/apr/27/gayrights.comment |access-date=19 September 2019 |work=The Guardian |date=26 April 2006}}</ref> The term '''batiman''' (or '''battyman''') is also used in ] owing to the popularity of ] there.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Scott|first1=Julia|title=The Lonely Fight Against Belize's Antigay Laws|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/24/magazine/the-lonely-fight-against-belizes-antigay-laws.html|access-date=October 24, 2016|work=The New York Times|date=May 22, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Cayetano|first1=Isani|title=Transgender woman is stoned and beaten by an angry mob|url=http://edition.channel5belize.com/archives/97600|access-date=October 24, 2016|work=News 5|date=April 9, 2014|location=Belize}}</ref> The term derives from the Jamaican slang word '']'', which refers to buttocks.<ref>{{cite book | author = Frederic Gomes Cassidy, Robert Brock Le Page | title = Dictionary of Jamaican English | date = 2002 | page = 32| publisher = University of the West Indies Press | isbn = 9789766401276 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_lmFzFgsTZYC&pg=PA32}}</ref> It is a ] and considered offensive. | |||
| Certain forms of Jamaican music feature both homophobic and extremely violent themes. One such example of this is the 1992 ] hit "Boom Bye Bye" by ] which contains lyrics that advocate the killing of ].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2015/jamaicas-anti-gay-murder-music-carries-violent-message|title=Jamaica's Anti-Gay 'Murder Music' Carries Violent Message|last=Nelson|first=Leah|date=2011-02-27|work=Southern Poverty Law Center|access-date=2019-07-15|language=en}}</ref> The pejorative ''chi chi man'' forms the title of a ] song about killing gay men and setting them on fire; it was the ]'s 2001 theme song.<ref name=":0" /> In the following year, the ] similarly based their slogan "Log On to Progress" on ]'s track "Log On" which likewise features some violent and homophobic lyrics (e.g. "step pon chi chi man", i.e. "stomp on a faggot").<ref name=":0" /> | |||
| Many Jamaican musicians have used the term to disparage LGBT people. In one notorious song, "Boom Bye Bye", ] musician ] advocates violence against "batty boys", including shooting them in the head and setting them on fire: | |||
| British comedian ] frequently used the expression in his ] character, including in a 2002 interview that led to an apology by the BBC for Cohen's foul language.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1385267/BBC-sorry-for-Ali-Gs-swearing.html|title=BBC sorry for Ali G's swearing|last=Leonard|first=Tom|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph : Britain's Best-Selling Quality Daily |date=2002-02-19|access-date=2019-07-15|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}</ref> | |||
| :Boom bye bye, in a batty bwoy head, | |||
| :Rude boy nah promote no nasty man, dem hafi dead.<ref></ref> | |||
| ⚫ | ==See also== | ||
| The term was brought to the ] by post-] Jamaican immigrants. The term was further popularised in the United Kingdom by the rise of British ] ], and his portrayal of the character ].<ref></ref> There is even a small following of the term in ]. | |||
| ⚫ | * ] | ||
| * ] | |||
| A synonymous Jamaican pejorative is '''chi chi boy''' or '''chi chi man'''. Dancehall artistes ], in a song by that name, threatened to "bun fire" on gays and those individuals in the company of gays.<ref name="jojj"/> | |||
| Gay men have begun referring to themselves as "batty boys" or "battymen", in part to ] the term and remove the ] associated with it.<ref name="jojj"/> This is similar to the way that '']'' is reclaimed in the U.S. In some cultures batty can be used as a simple description of ] much like '']'', or it can be used to be degrading. | |||
| Rapper ]'s song "Batty Boyz" from his 2009 album '']'' pokes fun at the ]. He pokes fun at it with lines such as: "Batman head bobbin slobbin Robins knob". | |||
| The hit UK show '']'' stars a Jamaican mother who uses the term Batty Boy to refer to her son who exhibits effeminate behavior.{{Citation needed|date=November 2009}} | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| {{Reflist}} | {{Reflist|2}} | ||
| ⚫ | ==See also== | ||
| ⚫ | *] | ||
| {{LGBT slang}} | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Batty Boy}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Batty Boy}} | ||
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Latest revision as of 07:14, 11 March 2024
Slur in Jamaican Patois
In Jamaican Patois, batty boy (also batty bwoy, batty man, and chi chi bwoy/man) is a slur often used to refer to a gay or effeminate man. The term batiman (or battyman) is also used in Belize owing to the popularity of Jamaican music there. The term derives from the Jamaican slang word batty, which refers to buttocks. It is a slur and considered offensive.
Certain forms of Jamaican music feature both homophobic and extremely violent themes. One such example of this is the 1992 dancehall hit "Boom Bye Bye" by Buju Banton which contains lyrics that advocate the killing of gay men. The pejorative chi chi man forms the title of a T.O.K. song about killing gay men and setting them on fire; it was the Jamaican Labour Party's 2001 theme song. In the following year, the People's National Party similarly based their slogan "Log On to Progress" on Elephant Man's track "Log On" which likewise features some violent and homophobic lyrics (e.g. "step pon chi chi man", i.e. "stomp on a faggot").
British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen frequently used the expression in his Ali G character, including in a 2002 interview that led to an apology by the BBC for Cohen's foul language.
See also
References
- Younge, Gary (26 April 2006). "Troubled island". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
- Scott, Julia (May 22, 2015). "The Lonely Fight Against Belize's Antigay Laws". The New York Times. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
- Cayetano, Isani (April 9, 2014). "Transgender woman is stoned and beaten by an angry mob". News 5. Belize. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
- Frederic Gomes Cassidy, Robert Brock Le Page (2002). Dictionary of Jamaican English. University of the West Indies Press. p. 32. ISBN 9789766401276.
- ^ Nelson, Leah (2011-02-27). "Jamaica's Anti-Gay 'Murder Music' Carries Violent Message". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved 2019-07-15.
- Leonard, Tom (2002-02-19). "BBC sorry for Ali G's swearing". The Daily Telegraph : Britain's Best-Selling Quality Daily. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2019-07-15.